On my Pinboard

Sunil Grover is an actor and stand up comedian who became popular for his portrayal of comical characters such as Gutthi on ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’. He made his Bollywood debut with ‘Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha’ in 1998 and has since played prominent roles in movies such as ‘Pataakha’ and ‘Bharat’. “As a student, I would mimic my teachers and make my friends and relatives laugh, though I didn’t understand why. I was always interested in dramatics, so after completing my graduation, I did my postgraduate in drama. I don’t think I can do anything else,” says Grover.

Grover was recently in town for Imperial Blue Superhit Night’s ‘Rock & Lol’ where he performed along with composers Vishal-Shekhar’, an event that brought together comedy and music.

Book

Dictionary

“I buy a lot of books but I don’t end up reading most of them. I loved reading ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by JD Salinger. It is such a beautiful story. I like reading historical works, which is funny because I hated the subject as a kid. I love the dictionary. I think that’s the one book I keep going back to, so I guess that is my favourite book.”

Travel destination

Goa

“I travel a lot because of work. I love Goa and Srinagar a lot. India so beautiful. I don’t think we need to go anywhere else, and it is so expensive to go abroad. I do like London, US and Dubai. I enjoy the vibe that Dubai has to offer.

Musician

Jagjit Singh

“Bollywood music is my favourite. These days Bollywood music is becoming mostly Punjabi, which I love. I listen to ghazals and jazz, as well, it all depends on my mood. I love music that has poetry in it. Shiv Kumar Batalvi is my favourite poet, and Jagjit Singh has sung his works. When I want to just sit back and enjoy, I listen to him.”

Inspiration

Mithun Chakraborty

“I went to see a Mithun Chakraborty film in a theatre and he just said “Ey” and people started clapping. I think that was the moment I decided that I wanted to be an actor. Sometimes you make big decisions as a child and just have to live by it. Some people move on from those dreams, but I didn’t.”

Movie

Forrest Gump

I’ve watched ‘Forrest Gump’ so many times and it is a movie I can still watch over and over again. There are many Hindi movies I love, but if I had to pick one, I would say ‘Lage Raho
Munna Bhai’.”

Food

Bhindi ki sabzi

“Bhindi ki sabzi is my go-to dish. I also love Baingan bharta, Rajma-chawal; basically, anything Punjabi. I love Indian food, maybe because that is what I grew up eating. I enjoy jalebis and gajar ka halwa. I also love those typical village dishes such as Balushahi and Shakarpare.”

Comedian

Rajendra Nath

“I loved watching Rajendra Nath perform. He would stand on one leg and jump. Even as a child, I would just laugh when he came on screen. I also like Keshto Mukherjee and Utpal Dutt.”