Neena Gupta Hails Sunil Grover's Versatility, Warns Against Comedy Typecasting

Sunil Grover, widely recognised for his work on the comedy show Comedy Nights with Kapil, has also appeared in films including 'Ghajini', 'Gabbar Is Back', 'The Legend of Bhagat Singh' and 'Jawan'.

He is known for his ability to blend mimicry and humour with strong acting talent, earning him acclaim across genres.

Neena Gupta, who worked with Grover in the 2022 film 'Goodbye', which also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rashmika Mandanna, Pavail Gulati, Ashish Vidyarthi, Payal Thapa, Elli AvrRam, Sahil Mehta and Shivin Narang, praised his talent and looks.

Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, Neena said, "I think of Sunil Grover, he's such a good-looking, handsome, great actor. I don't know whether, maybe things will change now... Sunil is a good-looking, smart, tall fellow... Abhi Kapil Sharma ko mila hai..kuch film ki usne.. Let's see, chalo, kuch to break hua hai."

Reflecting on the issue of typecasting in the industry, Neena said, "Mehmood was so good-looking, handsome, a good actor. Did he ever get a hero's role?"

Neena advised young actresses to carefully consider taking up comedy roles early in their careers, especially if they aspire to become leading heroines. She emphasised that while such roles can bring popularity, they can also typecast actors, making it difficult to transition into more serious or leading roles later.

The 'Panchayat' actor described her supporting role in the 1982 film Saath Saath as the "sabse bada disaster" of her career--not because the film failed, but because it succeeded too well. In the film, she portrayed a bespectacled, know-it-all girl, a character that became extremely popular with audiences.

"Sabse bada disaster jo maine kiya maine ek film ki Saath Saath. I did a role of a lallu ladki... it became such a hit, maine bola 'I have arrived'," she said.

The film, which also starred Farooq Shaikh, Deepti Naval, and Satish Shah, went on to become a big hit; however, Gupta felt the popularity of her role typecast her, making filmmakers reluctant to cast her as a leading heroine. Recalling an incident at the film's premiere party, she said playwright, actor, and director Girish Karnad bluntly predicted the impact the role would have on her career.

"There was a party for the premiere. Girish Karnad came. He knew me from NSD. He said, 'Now you are finished. You will never get a heroine role.' That's what happened," she said, further adding, "Comedy koi jisko lead karna hai koi ladki comedy mat karna shuru mein because then they can't think of you for heroine... I got at least 8 such roles."

Neena Gupta continues to earn acclaim for her performances in projects such as 'Panchayat', 'Masaba Masaba', 'Uunchai', 'Vadh 2', among others.

Her performances have been recognised with numerous honours, including the National Film Awards, the Filmfare Awards, and the Filmfare OTT Awards.

- ANI