Used to get anxious about failure: Sunil Grover

Actor-comedian Sunil Grover, who became a household name as "Gutthi" on "Comedy Nights with Kapil", says he is glad to have overcome the pessimistic phase in his career when he used to worry about the prospects of his TV shows.

Grover is back on the small screen after a gap of more than a year with a cricket-comedy show called "Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan Live", which airs alongside the Indian Premiere League (IPL).

Earlier in 2014, after his feud with colleague Kapil Sharma on "Comedy Nights...", Grover had started his own comedy show "Mad In India", which eventually failed to attain popularity.

He reunited with Kapil for his new offering, "The Kapil Sharma Show" as Dr Mashoor Gulati.

Post his mid-air tussle last year with Kapil, the actor says he is returning with renewed energy, leaving behind his long struggle with all sorts of the anxieties.

"I used to have the pressure of making my next show better than the previous one. I don't know how to make hit or flop shows, I don't know its mechanism," Grover told PTI in an interview.

The actor says he understood that if one works with 100 per cent dedication towards an idea, the project develops a "soul".

"Now, I don't worry about how people will receive a show, or not. I don't want to get anxious because of that. I used to be anxious earlier, like failure of a show or thinking about something that hasn't happened. (I figured) That's useless. I would rather focus on doing my job," he adds.

Excited about working on a full-fledged show after his exit from "The Kapil Sharma Show" in 2017, Grover says the year ahead looks promising as he has multiple projects lined up.

"I am now part of this show. I am doing a regular project after a long time, so I am excited about it. I will be working almost every day, which is a happy, nice feeling... I am also working on some other things also, which will come in the later part of the year," he said.

Despite enjoying the popularity as an artiste with an impeccable comic timing, the actor does not refer to himself as a comedian but likes being called an actor who "creates caricatures".

"I don't know comedy. I believe comedy is something that's gifted to people. I am an actor, who makes caricatures out of characters. I am trying to learn various kinds of genres within comedy. The objective is to make people laugh but people should also get to watch new things," he said.