Wolverhampton pizza shop owner turns actor in film on Amazon Prime
A Wolverhampton pizza business owner has grabbed a slice of fame as the lead actor in a movie on Amazon Prime Video.
Husband and father of one, Gurj Gill, 29, is the owner of Bunchi restaurant, in Ranelagh Road, Blakenhall.
His movie, Bluff, is currently available to watch on Amazon’s streaming service.
Gurj stars in the film which faced many stumbling blocks in getting off the ground.
A lack of budget for the movie, Covid restrictions, and having writer Sheikh Shahnawaz working as the director, producer and camera operator, this low-budget movie has exceeded all expectations to make its way onto one of the biggest streaming services.
Gurj said: "I would say with the way that the project was created, the lack of budget, the Covid restrictions - combining all that, we produced a phenomenal film.
"The quality of the film itself does not seem as if it was filmed under all those circumstances.”
Gurj currently works at his business, Bunchi, a pizza restaurant, where he feels he is performing everyday for his customers.
He said: “Technically, I’m kind of an actor all the time hired by Bunchi. I’m acting all the time and performing all the time in the way I greet customers and engaging with them.
"Acting for me is an expression. I try to create work myself, like with my business, Bunchi, I try to be the face of it and demonstrate products and do presentations.”
Watch the trailer for Bluff:
On getting the lead role in the movie, the ‘casting process’ wasn’t the norm for Gurj, as he met the creator via an online game, League of Legends.
He said: "I was playing a game called League of Legends and on there, I met somebody online. I asked him what he does, and he told me that he creates films, and I told him I study acting as well.
"From there he told me that he had an idea for a short film and he would like me to try it out, and then from that short film, the result and response he got from other actors was that I am a natural on camera and I come across as a detective.
"Then a short while after, he contacted me and said he wrote a film and felt I was perfect for this role in the film. He gave me some books, and after I read them, we spoke and he told me I would be a perfect fit. So there wasn’t an audition process for this role, but I feel that the short film he did make was a sort of casting process.
"So the short film process was sort of my audition process with the director.”
On IMDB (Internet Movie Database) Bluff currently has a rating of 8.7 out of 10, and with over 2,000 reviews, it has proved to be a popular-hit, but Gurj says he does not look at the reaction.
He said: "Honestly I’m quite ignorant to the situation. I just think of it as expression. So if somebody asks me how it feels, it’s just like I’m enjoying it.
"Friends and even customers that come to the store have been positive and recognised me from it. But I’ve just been neutral to the whole thing. Like if I see a poster of myself, I’m just like 'Ooh great, that’s me' and then move on.”
The movie was shot in Birmingham and was then entered into film festivals but after no success, the creator of the project approached a potential buyer who has placed it on Amazon’s Prime Video as a test-run to gauge the reaction it receives.
Gurj is happy performing in his day-to-day life in his pizza restaurant, and is aiming to combine his acting skills and business skills to bring them together.
He said: "We live in a fantastic multi-cultural society now, and that is what Bunchi is about, bringing everyone together. Not segregating anyone, and so that’s what I would like for the future in my acting. To combing my acting and business and convey my ideas.
"I think I act full-time in my everyday life, but I tend not to look for roles. Instead, I see what comes my way and I’m looking to create jobs myself for acting.
"As a husband and father I receive support from my family, and hopefully I will continue to act, be the face of Bunchi and see what the future holds for roles."
