This birthday, let’s not only celebrate Sunil Grover the comedian, but Sunil Grover the actor and the storyteller.
It would not be wrong to say that for most of us, Sunil Grover will always be remembered as Gutthi, the character he portrayed on Kapil Sharma’s comedy show. However, in the past couple of years, he has rewritten that legacy, and has evolved into one of the most engaging character actors in Indian cinema and streaming.
So, on his birthday today, we take a closer look at how the actor has had a bold reinvention, after stealing hearts with his comic timing on Comedy Nights with Kapil and later The Kapil Sharma Show for years. Well, he started off with comedy and became a household name through iconic roles like Gutthi, Dr. Mashoor Gulati, and Rinku Devi. His improv skills remain unmatched, and he is one of India's most beloved comedians.
But while fans love his slapstick comedy, Sunil has time and again shown that there was more beneath the surface. He made a dramatic acting career with Vishal Bhardwaj’s Pataakha (2018), and he played a nosy neighbor in a small Rajasthani village. He next starred in Bharat (2019), where he held his fort opposite Salman Khan. However, it was not until his lead role in the Amazon Prime Video series Tandav (2021) that got him all the attention he deserved. As Gurpal Chauhan, the calculating political aide, he made sure to silence those who had typecast him as "just a comic actor."
Well, the OTT space has been a game-changer for many Indian actors, and so is the case for Sunil Grover. He was seen as Sonu Singh, an eccentric resident of a housing society tangled in a murder mystery, in Sunflower (ZEE5). And he did deliver an unnerving and layered performance, which ended up drawing praise from critics and fans alike. He has been staying true to the character. And that shift has marked his arrival as a serious actor. His ability to move between moods and genres is something that most comedians cannot do in India.
In 2025, he has been roped in for two major streaming series. While one is a psychological thriller, the other is a satire set in small-town Uttar Pradesh. He’s also co-producing a dramedy, and who doesn’t want to see him in characters that are neither black nor white—but wonderfully grey.
So this birthday, let’s not only celebrate Sunil Grover the comedian, but Sunil Grover the actor and the storyteller. Happy Birthday, Sunil Grover. Keep surprising us.
