Game changer of 2022 Anupam Kher: ‘Lot of heroes have come and gone, but actors have survived’

Anupam Kher believes in being popular with himself rather than with others. Thirty- eight years in the entertainment industry, Anupam Kher has been constantly reinventing himself and that’s what keeps him going. With three successful films this year, Firstpost catches up with the brilliant actor over a cup of coffee.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

On being the game changer of 2022 at this age, how do you do that?

I don’t do that alone. And I will never take full credit for it. There are many people who are involved in the success of my films. I became a part of three films which are not conventional at all. I take up those roles that are challenging or I would rather put it this way that those roles come to me. Look at Kashmir Files, it is such an unusual film to become so successful. And that also humongous success. Karthikeya 2 was also successful which was again a different film. Uunchai was also not one of those blockbuster type typical Hindi films. And saying that I am very proud of typical Hindi films that I have done. To get to do these kind of films which are unconventional is very humbling.

What was also important was that I used to think that I am always trying to do my best in every film, but box office collection became very important to the world. There was a time when no matter how hard you work for a film and how much critical appreciation you get for it, all it mattered was how much it did at the box office. I have been part of all the blockbusters whether it was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenga or Hum Aapke Hain Koun. I have done all hit films, but there is a trend in the entertainment industry that heroes get that credit.

I consider myself to be an educated hero who has gone through drama school.

Cinema is changing with OTT and also theatrical releases. How do you feel to be a part of cinema then and cinema now?

 For a long time, cinema was about celebrations. Keeping the larger than life formula intact, cinema was all about festivals. But something changed during the pandemic, people changed lives changed and fear cropped in. People were allergic to anything fake and that was the churning point of everybody’s life. People also saw cinema from other countries and they are now wanting to see films which come from your heart and touch your heart. Uuncahi is a film about inspiration.

Who would have thought that a film about three old people will touch the hearts of so many? I have got unbelievable messages after the release of Uunchai which I don’t think I have got after any film. My cousin sister messaged me saying that I loved your character in Uunchai for the slight comic relief in an otherwise heavy narrative. The film is all heart and I left the hall feeling inspired.

So, when cinema inspires people towards life, then I think it is the triumph of cinema. It’s the jeeth (win) of cinema. And I must say if a film like Kashmir Files does so well, then I feel the sensitivity of the people is still alive. People were also guilty of not knowing the Kashmiri Hindu exodus.

About Karthikeya 2 it’s all about finding Krishna in different avatars and Krishna can be a symbol of anything. But the minor detail which people don’t know is that I made the character blind five minutes before I was to give my shot. He was not blind in the original script.

Changing face of a hero. From the very beginning you had mentioned that I never saw myself as a hero, but I always saw myself as an actor. Now what do you have to say after being in the entertainment industry for so many years?

I have lost count of how many heroes have come and gone during this thirty – eight year of my career. Survival is all about that. Lots of heroes have come and gone, but actors have survived. And also people who reinvent themselves, they will always survive. As for me, I am too restless to stay static for long, mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, I have no fear of failure and I am an eternal optimist. So, it’s a lethal combination that I was never scared of experimenting, otherwise why would I do a role of a sixty-five-year-old man at the age of twenty- eight. And why will I break this myth of type casting which was prevalent thirty-five years back.

Why will I want to write three books, I don’t speak in English in the sense that I don’t think in English. But I wanted to write about my life and the thought was genuine and genuineness reaches people. People who pretend, don’t like themselves and that’s why they pretend. I love myself.

 You have never hidden anything from anybody, whether it is your thoughts, your looks or your personality. What do you have to say about that?

My grandfather used to say when you speak the truth, you don’t have the fear of forgetting anything. I want to be popular with myself first then with others. If I am planning to be popular with others, then I am not happy with myself or my journey of life.  I always felt that when I go back home and lie down on the bed, I can tell myself that I did what my heart said.

 The way I think and look at life has got to do with my upbringing. My father used to say the easiest thing to do in life is to make people happy. The lessons about life that you learn in a joint family always stays with you.

On dealing with failures…

My play Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai talks only about my failures. But when you talk about your failures, it elevates you because people around you frighten you with your shortcomings and your failures and if you yourself talk about them, then they have nothing to frighten you with. If I only tell the people that I am bald, I don’t know how to speak in English, that I had gone through facial paralysis during the shooting of Hum Apke Hai Kaun and in 2004 I became almost bankrupt, then there is nothing that I am hiding from anybody. So, there is no fear of people finding out about my life or my life. My life has always been an open book.

How do you keep yourself charged up?

Thankfulness of what God has given me. Thankfulness of the small town boy whose father was a clerk in the forest department and today sitting in a five-star hotel on the 20^th floor with this beautiful view and talking about my life to you is so humbling. I look up to meeting people every day. Like you I see the person behind you and not the journalist. Mai jeevan ko nahi samju gi. Toh mera jeevan neeras hai nah.

Your journey in the entertainment industry has not been smooth…

A journey which is smooth is boring and predictable. I believe success stories are made out of failures and that is the reason they are called success stories.

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