The Great Indian Kapil Show 3: Suniel Shetty recalls being called 'wooden' after Balwaan; says 'Was told bakwas actor hai isko wapis Udupi jana chahiye'

The third season of The Great Indian Kapil Show continues to be a weekend favorite, bringing fans laughter and nostalgia with its star-studded guest list. The latest episode featured the much-loved Bollywood duo Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty, who made a powerful entry that instantly charged up the atmosphere.

Sanjay Dutt and Suniel Shetty’s friendship is one of the most respected bonds in the film industry. The two first met during their early days in Bollywood and went on to share a strong connection that has lasted for decades. Their camaraderie has always been admired by fans and colleagues alike. The duo is best remembered for their work together in the 2002 action-thriller Kaante, where their iconic performances are still talked about today.

While discussing Kaante, Kapil asked them why multi-starrer films don’t work as well in today’s time. To this, Sanjay Dutt said, “I think iske piche insecurity hai (I think the reason is insecurity).” Suniel Shetty agreed with him and added his perspective.

Sanjay recalled his own experience of working with legends from the earlier era. He said, “Hum log ke time mein Dilip sahab ke saath bhi kam kiya hai, meine Sanjeev Kumar ke saath bhi kaam kiya hai, Shammi uncle ke saath bhi kam kiya hai. Koi insecurity nahi thi who bass sikhne koh mila mujhe. Mere lines agar Anna (Suniel) bhi bole ya mein iske line bolu toh koi insecurity nahi tha. Picture acchi banani chahiye bass (In our time, I worked with Dilip saab, Sanjeev Kumar, and Shammi uncle. There was no insecurity, only learning. Even if Anna delivered my line or I spoke his, there was no insecurity. The only goal was to make a good film).”

Adding to this, Suniel shared a personal struggle from his early days. “Appreciation tha ek dusre ke liye. Jaise jab Balwaan meri chali thi uske baad mujhe wooden kaha gaya. Ke bakwas actor hai usko wapis Udupi mein jana chahiye, restaurant mein kam karna chahiye (There was appreciation for one another. Like after Balwaan worked, I was called wooden. People said I was a bad actor and should return to Udupi to work in my restaurant).”

He went on, “Bura toh bohot laga tha, aur jab meine socha ki haaan yaar meine acting kabhi sikhi hi nahi thi. Mauka mila action kiya mein ghuss gaya. Harr baccha samajhta hai ki mein agla Amitabh Bachchan banunga toh you go forward, lekin waisa rosy picture hai nahi (It really hurt, and I realized I had never learned acting. I got a chance, did action, and entered films. Every kid thinks he’ll become the next Amitabh Bachchan, but it’s not such a rosy picture).”

Suniel added that despite success, he still faced pressure. “Success ke baad bhi mujhe stress tha ki acting nahi aati, agle film mein kya karunga. Lekin tab meine definitely socha tha ki look at Sanju yaar, look at his walk, look at his personality. Look at Jackie dada, Chi Chi bhaiya koh dekho, Sunny paaji koh dekho. Mere liye yeh sab mere heroes the. Toh wo isiliye tha ki mein kahi na kahi secure tha aur inse meine sikha aur waha se acting sikhi (Even after success, I was stressed about not knowing acting. But then I thought, look at Sanju, his walk, his personality. Look at Jackie dada, Chi Chi bhaiya, Sunny paaji. They were all my heroes. Somewhere I was secure, and I learned from them, that’s how I picked up acting).”

He concluded, “Toh who mindset aaj kal ke baccho mein hai nahi, kyuki yeh virtual world ne sabko dara diya hai (That mindset isn’t in today’s generation because this virtual world has made them fearful).”

Sanjay also gave a strong message saying, “Mein bolta hu aap jitna humble rahoge utna aage badhoge, ek film hit ho gayi toh matlab admi pagal ho jata hai. Yeh joh naye actors hai. Pehle 40 saal tikake toh dikhao industry mein.