Today, Anupam Kher is associated with international cinema, quality theatre, his acting school and his alternate career as a motivation speaker. But time was, some twenty years ago, when after riding the crest of success, he was drained as an artiste. This happens to the best actors at some point in their careers and that is the time to get off the tread mill and introspect.
Anupam Kher did that. He stopped signing mundane, mediocre, multi-star projects. He stopped meaningless events and frivolous parties. Once he had finished with his backlog, he signed select films and interacted with select people. He diverted his focus to bigger dreams and got ready for bigger responsibilities. I met him during this time and sensed the change to come. I asked him how he felt after the sabbatical and he was as always optimistic.
“I am finally doing what I want to do rather than what I have to do. In my play Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai there is a line, ‘This is the interval of my life’, for me this is reality and my We actors come to Mumbai for a career and get trapped in the rat race without knowing it because in this industry one is judged by the number of films you sign. It takes courage to break free of the shackles. I have done that.
To be continued