Anupam Kher: Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu are the new heroes of India - Exclusive

Anupam Kher has to be the most universally likeable person in entertainment today. He can make strong political statements and inspire millions, he can woo Hollywood with ease, make friends on social media and work in Hindi, Telugu and any language films and walk away with hosannas. His last film Uunchai, with Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani has impressed movie buffs, too. ETimes caught up with Anupam Kher to chronicle his thoughts on his likeability and his evergreen spirit. Read on...

That's because I believe that I have to first be popular with myself and then the rest of the world. If I want to say something and I believe in it, why should I camouflage it? Some people may like it, some may not. I don’t have time to engage with negativity. It’s time to do good things and meet good people. I have started a new chat show titled Manzilen Aur Bhi Hain on my YouTube channel. It has clocked 600,000 minutes in 36 hours. The first episode features my mother. There’s no bigger rockstar than her. And she doesn’t even know that she has so many fans. Actually, because of the Dulari Rocks videos that I put up; a lot of people have started looking at their parents in a different way.

The audiences have gone through a rough patch. They don’t like anything fake anymore. Wrong is a good step to get into the right step. This is a churning that you must change yourself. After going through two years of COVID and lockdown, people hate anything that is fake. If they sense artificiality, they will reject it. You can’t get away with anything. And it was important. We will learn a lot.

No, it’s nothing like that. People like heroes. But our heroes have changed now. Now Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu are heroes. Entertainment will always remain but we’ll have to come up with something genuine and actually entertaining. Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 was larger-than-life but it was relatable. The Kashmir Files did not have any song and dance but it did a business of 350 crores. My other film Karthikeya 2 was first released in 50 theatres. Then it gradually went up to 2000 theatres. So, it’s not like there’s no audience but you can’t con your audience anymore.

South is also part of India. What’s the problem? There’s a certain amount of genuineness in their cinema. If you are genuine and have a good story, you will succeed.

I am doing a lot of things. I work for kids at Anupam Kher Foundation. I am working on a book. I am writing a story but my speed is slow. I will direct that but I don’t know when will that be completed.

I think she is the epitome of positivity. To be diagnosed with cancer one year ago and now to be back at work and do her constituency work in Chandigarh, I think human spirit is the most attractive thing that there is. That’s the only way to live.

I am in this industry because of Rajshri. My first film was released 38 years ago. They gave me work. Where we are sitting right now, is the same cabin where Rajkumar Barjatya ji offered me the role in Saaransh. This element is called kuchh bhi ho sakta hai. Years ago, I knocked on their door asking for work. And now, I sit in the same chair as Rajkumar Barjatya ji and talk about them and our film. What could be a bigger honor than this? Life shows you such amazing things. That’s the beauty of life.

When I am working with them my name is Anupam Barjatya, not Anupam Kher. (chuckles)

No, it’s not like that. He didn’t want to do the film because of personal reasons. His mother was not well and his close friend had passed away. It wasn’t a case that the film would not have been made if Boman was not able to do the film. But Sooraj wanted Boman so I thought if I can try and get Boman then I should do it. So, I made him understand in my own loving way, 'pyaar se gaali deke', that it’s an important film. And now he is happy about it. But I was not insensitive towards what he was going through at that time. But yes, I got out of this office and called him and told him, 'You want your name in the cinema history or not? Then you must do this film.' I’m glad that he listened to me and his own instinct and the result is that he is on the posters of this film.

I can write a book on Sooraj Barjatya. He was an assistant on Saaransh. So, from there to where we have reached now, he has remained the same person in terms of goodness, honesty, positivity, calmness, and spreading hope. He reaffirms my faith in goodness. And his cinema has moved from the kind of movies that he used to make. He has also changed his horizon. But the basic theme of the film is the same – the things that he believes in. He is so prepared. He has spent a year with the film even before he starts shooting it. That’s why the reception towards Uunchai has been so amazing. Because we have gone through tough times in the last two years that we saw something about hope and goodness in this film. I have not yet seen a negative comment about it, which is very difficult, in today’s times.

It’s always a joy working with him. He is the most professional, brilliant actor. There’s so much to learn from him. We have worked together in Aakhiri Raasta, Hum, Sooryavanshi but in Uunchai we worked together after a long time. The good thing about it was that we were all working in a film where the philosophy of the actors and the philosophy of the film is the same – that age is just a number. You have to find your horizons. You have to break barriers. Mr. Bachchan feels like that. I feel like that.
I used to always say that. When someone calls me veteran Anupam Kher I rubbish it. It’s their way of making me feel like a veteran that you’ll get a lifetime achievement award and then you’ll walk into the sunset. I have just started my life. If you’re enthusiastic about life, life is beautiful.