Gulshan Grover, the famous “Bad Man” of Indian cinema is actually a nurturing, generous dad whose tiger father role created a success story. Today, his son Sanjay Grover is a director at Hollywood Studios MGM and looks into the business expansion, producing films and devising new business models.
Sanjay is the youngest ever to hold the post of a director. All this is not surprising to me, considering the apple does not fall far from the tree. His father Gulshan is a pioneer of the Bollywood to Hollywood transition.
Gulshan’s Hollywood film, The 2nd Jungle Book, produced by Columbia Tristar, was a theatrical release in 1996. Since then, Gulshan has done many Hollywood and international projects creating a mud path for Indian talent to cross over more easily.
I remember popping over some time ago for lunch, and seeing Gulshan very annoyed with his son. Sanjay had filled in a cheque wrongly, and Gulshan reprimanded him strictly, notwithstanding my presence. I saw shades of an authoritarian persona when he chided his son warning him that he’d get nowhere if he was to be indolent and not learn how to live life, be independent and self-reliant.
“Like all parents, I was making a point to my son and yes it’s very important that one is self-sufficient. I personally may not even be the jack of all trades, like I don’t cook and I haven’t really even tried, but if it’s anything within the radius of my professional life, then yes I would put in every effort to learn and ensure I do it well. I expect it in myself so why not in my son? In life if you have to excel, you have to go those extra few miles. As an example, I am playing the main action baddie in Bullett Raja against Saif Ali Khan and the action scenes require a lot of fitness, so I’m working out harder than I usually do to ensure the role is authentic. And so, I’d expect the same from my son and while bringing him up I’d egg him on with great enthusiasm,” says Gulshan.
I assume it was because Gulshan was a single parent. Trepidatiously, I enquire from Gulshan how he brought up his son singularly. Was it easy to be a single parent? Gulshan is quite disarming in his candid admission and with his charm admits that single parenting was never a choice, but a circumstance.
“An unfortunate occurrence and though I have done the best I probably could, I had the unconditional support of family and friends for which I am forever grateful. A child needs both parents and each brings qualities that shape and balance the needs and personality of a child. When I see Sanjay, I would say we’ve done well, but of course it’s never ideal. I believe marriage is the most divine and blessed state for man and woman. I’ve just been a bit unlucky on that front. But that doesn’t mean I have closed any doors. Today I am so proud of Sanjay. At my friend Tina Ambani’s dinner for Hollywood legend Steven Spielberg, the director spoke so highly of Sanjay’s talent and abilities in Hollywood. Having Spielberg say this about Sanjay made me and Tina very proud.”
Gulshan achieved everything through hard work, he is a self-made man. He ensured this philosophy of work and sincerity filtered down to his son.
“Once you have found your true passion, talent and interest, it is important to give it your all. Faith is the other essential ingredient that blesses and takes you forward. To me work is worship and I taught Sanjay that too. For every talent, growth is very essential and I used to have long chats with Sanjay where I shared my experiences with him.
“I had achieved a certain stardom and name in Bollywood, I wanted to explore and expand in international cinema too. So very much at the risk of losing my position and work in Bollywood, I started exploring Hollywood. In the early ’90s it was tough as they were not familiar with our work and had no understanding of Indian actors. Sanjay was privy to my struggle. Once I attained fame and stardom on foreign shores, Sanjay too realised that work and self-belief could move mountains and conquer unchartered territories.”

The author is a lifestyle columnist and a designer. You can mail her at
nishajamval@gmail.com