Bollywood’s iconic ‘Bad Man’ Gulshan Grover recently appeared on Archana Puran Singh’s YouTube channel, where he shared emotional and personal stories while talking about his upcoming film Heer Express.
What makes this film special for Gulshan is that it has been produced by his son, Sanjay Grover, who earlier worked in Hollywood.
A Proud Father-Son Moment
Gulshan expressed how proud he is of Sanjay for using his Hollywood experience in an Indian film project. He said, ‘I want to see big success, big achievements, but for my son, Sanjay Grover.’
Sanjay studied at UCLA and once accompanied Gulshan to a meeting at the Hollywood studio MGM. ‘Sanjay said that he wanted to accompany me, because he wanted to see all the Oscars that they have in the lobby of their office.’
During the meeting with MGM’s former co-CEO, Mary Parent, Sanjay kept challenging her views. ‘Like any Punjabi dad, I felt like taking him out and thrashing him. But, to my surprise, after the meeting, Mary handed him her details and said that a job would be waiting for him once he graduates. I was so proud. I felt like a village idiot,’ Gulshan recalled.
Reconnecting After Years Apart
Gulshan shared that Sanjay had grown up away from him because he had divorced Sanjay’s mother. But working on Heer Express gave them a chance to reconnect. ‘I am divorced from his mother, and she lives separately. Any parent would feel like enough is enough, my son has lived outside for so many years, we should live together now,’ he said.
They now live under the same roof in Mumbai, but with a twist. ‘He came, and we worked out an arrangement where he would stay on the top floor of my duplex house, and I would stay on the bottom floor. He was free to enter my space, but I didn’t have permission to enter his space.’
Sanjay’s Journey from Hollywood to Bollywood
Sanjay Grover has a strong background in filmmaking. He worked at MGM and co-produced Tarsem Singh’s Dear Jassi. Despite his Hollywood career, he moved back to India after some emotional convincing from Gulshan. ‘I had to emotionally blackmail him to return to India and try his luck out at acting,’ the actor admitted.
A Son With Global Experience
In an earlier interview with Hindustan Times, Gulshan praised Sanjay’s knowledge of cinema. ‘His experience of making films in Hollywood as well as watching world cinema – German, French, American, Korean is fabulous. Jitna wo dekhta hai, utna mujhe dekhne me 10 saal lag jaaenge.’
He added that Sanjay’s eye for global cinema helps him gain new insights, ‘So his experience and exposure to not just the most talked about projects but also the hidden gems, helps me get a certain kind of vision, which I do not possess.’
Directed by Umesh Shukla
Heer Express is directed by Umesh Shukla, known for films like OMG – Oh My God and 102 Not Out. The movie marks a special collaboration between father and son, blending Bollywood experience with Hollywood exposure.