Sunil Grover opens up about how he bagged the role of Gurpal in Ali Abbas Zafar's 'Tandav'
Versatile actor Sunil Grover, often known for playing comic roles and characters, is all set to surprise the audiences in an all new on-screen avatar in the much-awaited Amazon Original Series Tandav. Fans are eagerly awaiting the actor’s return on screen and create magic with his stupendous performance. Recently, Sunil revealed his first reaction upon hearing about Tandav and how he bagged this character which contradicts his jovial personality.
“In Tandav, I will not be seen wearing a saree and making people laugh”, exclaimed Sunil and continued, “Upon hearing about the show at first, I was expecting the age-old political saga, void of any difference or newness. But when I read the script for the very first time, I was proved wrong. Tandav, with its extremely gripping plotline, had me so hooked, I couldn’t stop reading it until I was done reading the entire script. The show’s multi-layered characters fascinated me.”
He further revealed, “I feel somewhere I was stuck in a monotonous cycle wherein I’d only get a part of a certain caliber to play. I was hardly considered for roles that went beyond being funny and comic. I never thought Ali Abbas Zafar would ever cast me for such a serious and intense character. I was surprised when Ali told me that I was his first choice for Gurpal’s character, and he had full faith in me to do justice with the character.”
Adding further about experience portraying this rather serious character, the popular actor received guidance from the director. Sunil revealed, I’ve been used to comic roles and bits, Ali taught me how this character would be played differently. I thoroughly enjoyed this new experience in the entire process of bringing an interesting flavor to the table.”
Tandav cast:
Produced by Himanshu Kishan Mehra and Ali Abbas Zafar, the 9-episode political drama features a strong ensemble cast including Saif Ali Khan, Dimple Kapadia, Sunil Grover, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Dino Morea Kumud Mishra, Gauahar Khan, Amyra Dastur, Mohd. Zeeshan Ayyub, Kritika Kamra, Sarah Jane Dias, Sandhya Mridul, Annup Sonii, Hitten Ttejwani, Paresh Pahuja and Shonali Nagrani among others.
What is Tandav all about?
The charismatic leader of a premiere political party, Samar Pratap (Saif Ali Khan), feels he’s ready to inherit the chair of PM after his party wins the (Lok Sabha) elections. Samar’s father, the party patriarch and the Prime Minister of the country, Devki Nandan (Tigmanshu Dhulia) is not willing to retire yet. Anuradha, Devki’s close associate (Dimple Kapadia), party senior leader Gopal Das (Kumud Mishra) are few of many other leaders considering themselves fit to sit the chair. But the chair never comes easy.
A parallel story plays out with the idealistic campus activist Shiva (Zeeshan Ayub) who becomes an overnight youth icon as he shines at a political event. Shiva wants to bring about the change, sway the youth and overthrow the power pillars. Shiva gets the first taste of power. Shiva and Samar’s lives intersect as the national politics meets the campus activism. The dance of politics ensues as a series of events expose the inherent deceit, manipulation, greed, ambition and violence in all the relationships.
Tandav release date:
Tandav will premiere on January 15, 2021 and will be available for Prime members in India and in more than 200 countries and territories.
