Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kheris an Indian actor who has appeared in 500 films and many plays. Mainly working in Hindi films, he has also appeared in acclaimed international films such as the 2002 Golden Globe nominated Bend It Like Beckham, Ang Lee's 2007 Golden Lion-winning Lust, Caution, and David O. Russell's 2013 Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook. Kher has won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role five times. For his performance in film Vijay he won the Filmfare...
NationalityIndian
ProfessionMovie Actor
Date of Birth7 March 1948
CityShimla, India
CountryIndia
You may be in a medical or engineering college, but not all will stand first in class. It depends on who studies the most.
An actor is only a part of the film, not the whole, and very often, he is moulded by the director. That is why a good director can make so much difference to a film.
Harper Collins gave me a letter of intent saying that they want me to pen down my autobiography. When I was recollecting the incidents of my life for that, I selected only those incidents which were turning points in my life. I staged it instead of writing it.
I am aware that as an actor, I can blame others for the failure of a film, the director, the script, choice of co-stars, timing of the release and so on. But now, as the director, I will have to shoulder all the blame.
I cannot take away the fact I am a small-town boy from India, from a lower-middle class family, and was actually standing in front of De Niro - not on an equal level, but as an actor, on the same pedestal.
I had spent many days hungry; had slept on railway stations at times because I did not have money to pay for a hotel room... there were moments when I felt I had compromised my dignity as a human being and as an actor.
I still feel I belong to the theatre. There is nothing more challenging and exciting for an actor than performing before a live audience. The stage is the real testing ground for an actor.
I was failed in all other aspects of filmmaking and was completely bankrupt because my dreams were higher than realities. So I started my acting school in a small room with 12 students to prepare future actors and actresses.
I'm looking to do an honest job, and I don't have any Indian talk show as a reference point. I'm not looking down on them, but I want to do what Oprah did.
I'm very happy doing what I'm doing; I don't think I'm prepared to devote my time to politics. When I am, I'd like to give it 100%. I'm not in the frame of mind, and I'm too greedy an actor to do that.
In every role that I do - whether I'm a teacher, actor or mentor - I do it with total dedication and as much honesty as I feel is required because there's no alternative to honesty and hard work.
One time I nearly experienced failure was when I was acting in 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' in 1994. One day, I woke up and found that part of my face was paralysed.
Our cinema has evolved in last 60 years because we have made people happy through our films. The main purpose of our storyline is to spread happiness. Our cinema has an emotional connect.
When I staged the play and narrated my story to the audience, people found it amazing that after facing so many hardships, I have gone on to do 482 films.