They thought Asian actors were troublemakers
When I started off, actors who wanted to work in Hollywood, packed their bags and left the country, settled there. None of the successful actors with an impressive body of work here, thought of venturing into Hollywood without wanting to settle there. And I wanted to be an exception. It was in the 90s. There was no clarity on how to get an agent, get films. I had gone for a show with Aamir and Shah Rukh to Los Angeles. I figured Hollywood had no idea of how we work here, who were our biggest stars. What's more, the agents there wanted aspirants to stay there, not come back. Communication was a problem. This was in the pre-email days, when everything was faxed. It was very difficult to convince them that we were professionals who could be trusted.
They had heardd horror stories about us that we don't come on time, we get drunk, get into brawls and all that. Sometimes they offered me contracts that said my passport will be confiscated. It took time for them to understand us.
I got an agent, but roles offered were that of Asian cabbies with a few lines. When I refused them, they asked me to get lost. Then Jungle Book happened in 1997, where I played the main villian.
Duncan McLachlan, the director met me and said I had a 'strong face and amazing eyes.' I waited for the final call for three months, but then I was told the distributors did not want an Indian actor for such an important part. I was disappointed. But then much later, while shootinf for Koyla, the producer called me again and said the director was unhappy with the replacement actor and wanted to know if I still had long hair! I said yes, and I was on!
Since then I have acted in nine top-of-the-line Hollywood films, and have several meaty roles to my credit. Today I can safely say that I had laid down the ground roles for a whole lot of talented stars - Aishwarya, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan...
I am told, when Anil Kapoor, my colleague and my peer, tell me that when every time he goes to LA and meets the agents and the production houses, he is asked about "Gulshan Grover". It feels good. I always wanted to make my country proud and work with my head held high.
They had heardd horror stories about us that we don't come on time, we get drunk, get into brawls and all that. Sometimes they offered me contracts that said my passport will be confiscated. It took time for them to understand us.
I got an agent, but roles offered were that of Asian cabbies with a few lines. When I refused them, they asked me to get lost. Then Jungle Book happened in 1997, where I played the main villian.
Duncan McLachlan, the director met me and said I had a 'strong face and amazing eyes.' I waited for the final call for three months, but then I was told the distributors did not want an Indian actor for such an important part. I was disappointed. But then much later, while shootinf for Koyla, the producer called me again and said the director was unhappy with the replacement actor and wanted to know if I still had long hair! I said yes, and I was on!
Since then I have acted in nine top-of-the-line Hollywood films, and have several meaty roles to my credit. Today I can safely say that I had laid down the ground roles for a whole lot of talented stars - Aishwarya, Anil Kapoor, Irrfan...
I am told, when Anil Kapoor, my colleague and my peer, tell me that when every time he goes to LA and meets the agents and the production houses, he is asked about "Gulshan Grover". It feels good. I always wanted to make my country proud and work with my head held high.
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