Sunil Grover is one of the finest comedians and actors of his generation who is known for his different avatars in comedy shows and films like Gabbar Is Back, Patakha, Bharat, and Jawan.
Early Life
Sunil Grover was born on August 3, 1977, in the small town of Mandi Dabwali, Sirsa district, Haryana. His father, J. N. Grover, is a banker, while his mother, Raj Rani, is a homemaker. Some sources says that his father worked in the Punjab tourism department. He has a sister, Ritu Grover, and no brothers. He completed his schooling at Arya Vidya Mandir, Mandi Dabwali, Sirsa. Raised in a middle-class Punjabi family, Sunil developed an interest in performance early on. His childhood in Sirsa involved participating in school plays and mimicking Hindi film stars.
He went on to pursue a Bachelor of Commerce degree at G. G. D. S. D. College, Chandigarh. His passion for the performing arts led him to obtain a Master’s in Theatre from Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Sunil Grover The Actor
Sunil Grover’s career began in the 1990s with local theatre in Chandigarh. Grover was discovered during his college days by the late satirist and comedian Jaspal Bhatti, who gave him the first break with the 1995 TV show “Full Tension.” He worked as a radio jockey for Radio Mirchi’s Hansi Ke Phuware, voicing the character Sudarshan (Sud), which gained popularity for its witty humor.
Sunil Grover’s career began in the 1990s with local theatre in Chandigarh. Comedian Jaspal Bhatti discovered him during college auditions, casting him in shows like Full Tension (1995) on DD National. He worked as a radio jockey for Radio Mirchi’s Hansi Ke Phuware, voicing the character Sudarshan (Sud), which gained popularity for its witty humor.
Grover made his film debut with a minor role as Totaram in in the 1998 film “Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha.” He then acted in Jaspal Bhatti’s “Mahaul Theek Hai (1999),” Raj Kumar Santoshi’s “The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002),” Farah Khan’s “Main Hoon Na (2005),” and Amir Khan’s “Ghajini (2008).”
Breakthrough
At the same time, he continues to do shows like “Professor Money Plant,” “Ssshhhh…Koi Hai,” “Kaun Banega Champu,” “Chala Lallan Hero Ban ne,” “Gutur Gu,” and “Comedy Circus.” However, it was his roles in “Comedy Nights with Kapil” and “The Kapil Sharma Show” that catapulted him to national fame, with characters like Gutthi, Dr. Mashoor Gulati, and Rinku Devi winning hearts across the country.
Sunil’s career has not been without its challenges. A public tiff with co-star Kapil Sharma in 2017 led to a brief departure from “The Kapil Sharma Show.” However, Sunil’s resilience shone through as he continued to explore various avenues, including films and web series.
Kamal Kapoor As Villain
Over the years he was part of films like “Zila Ghaziabad (2013),” “Heropanti (2014),” “Gabbar is Back (2015), “Baaghi (2016),” “Coffee with D (2017),” “Bharat (2019),” “Goodbye (2022),” “Jawan (2023),” and “Blackout (2024).” One of his standout performance came in Vishal Bharadwaj‘s black comedy “Pataakha (2018).” He was also seen in web series like “Tandav,” “Sunflower,” and “United Kacche,” where his performances have been particularly lauded.
Currently, he is a part of the Netflix show “The Great Indian Kapil Show,” where he is portraying characters like “Dhafli,” “Engineer Chumbak Mittal,” “Couple Paaji (based on the great Kapil Dev),” “Kamlesh ki Lugai,” “Kha Ke (based on Amir Khan’s PK),” “Dharam Ji,” “Cherry Paaji (based on Navjot Singh Sidhu),” “The Great Kya Khali and others.
Sunil Grover’s impact on Indian comedy is indelible. His ability to breathe life into diverse characters, coupled with his impeccable comic timing, has made him a beloved figure. He has received numerous awards, including the Indian Television Academy Award for Comedy Icon and the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actor Comedy, affirming his status as a powerhouse of talent.
Sunil has been married to his wife, Aarti Grover, and has a son, Mohan.
Sunil Grover on IMDB
