‘I do not carry the burden of being ‘Anupam Kher’ on my shoulder’

Actor Anupam Kher has explored different horizons in his film career of almost 30 years. And the reason why Kher is enjoying life to the fullest is that he does not carry the burden of being a senior actor. “That makes my life and job easy. The lighter I feel, the higher I will fly,” the 67-year-old remarks, adding, “That’s why I have told people to not call me a legend or veteran, or uncle for that matter. In India, after you reach a certain age, people start addressing you with all these titles. I don’t allow that because these are the clichés decided by society.”

Kher feels everyone should have the freedom to choose the kind of life they want to live and they should work hard to achieve it. Those who fail to do that should then blame themselves and not their destiny. “Failures are inevitable, but not giving up is the mantra. People who want to reach somewhere but don’t want to work hard for it, and instead blame their destiny, are wrong. You need to blame yourself,” says the actor, adding, “I was the host of a talk show in which there was a lot of money involved, but the project was a disaster. Still, that never stopped me from trying new things. I believe, no fear of failure combined with optimism is the best recipe for success.”

Ask who has been the source of his strength and inspiration, and the actor shares, “If you look around, you will find inspiration in everyone’s story. Achievers or inspirational people are not always those who have made it to the newspapers or who are celebrities, but even those who walk on the streets, do monotonous jobs or come from poor families.”

The Kashmir Files actor recently released the first episode of his inspirational talk show, Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain. The show, which saw Kher’s mum as the first guest, will see him ditching the conventional ways of interviewing people and having “real conversations with the guests”, as they discuss their struggles and success. The show will welcome personalities from all walks of life and includes names like CM Jairam Thakur, Hima Das, PV Sidhu among many others. Explaining how he makes the guests feel comfortable enough to share the weakest points of their life, Kher reveals “They know the person (me) asking this question is not judging them. My intention is never to dig out dirt. I want to talk about their struggles, their fears and have real conversations. They know the person asking this question is not judging them. I am asking it to inspire other people.”