Before he became one of India’s most beloved comic performers, Sunil Grover came dangerously close to being dropped from The Kapil Sharma Show.
Today, his characters, Gutthi, Dr Mashoor Gulati, and Rinku Bhabhi are etched into pop-culture history, but the comedian’s start on the show was far from easy.
Actress Upasana Singh, who appeared alongside him, recently revealed in an interview with Lallantop that the creative team had nearly fired him after his first few appearances.
“When he initially came in, he spoke at a slower pace. So the creative team on that show wanted to fire him because they thought he couldn’t do it, and he can’t match up (to the rest of the cast). I told them then, and Sunil and all the others know about it, that he is a very good actor, you should keep him on,” she said.
Upasana went on to share that before joining the show, Sunil was struggling both emotionally and professionally. “When Kapil’s show started, he was not well. I asked him what happened, and he shared that he was hospitalised because of depression. He didn’t have much work either. When he came over to my house with Kapil, I didn’t even recognise him because he wasn’t doing much then. But he did so well, and we are such good friends now,” she added.
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Sunil’s eventual success is a testament to resilience. His unique ability to transform into eccentric yet relatable characters redefined Indian television comedy.
Whether it was Gutthi’s playful innocence or Dr Mashoor Gulati’s exaggerated antics, his performances struck a perfect balance between humour and heart.
While his friendship and occasional friction with Kapil Sharma often grabbed headlines, it was their on-screen chemistry that made the show iconic.
Kapil’s quick wit blended seamlessly with Sunil’s character-driven comedy, creating sketches that audiences still fondly revisit years later.
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