Anand Tiwari: Anurag Basu is a genius; we share a guru-shishya relationship

Actor Anand Tiwari assisted director Anurag Basu on the film Barfi!, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D Cruz.

Actor Anand Tiwari might not be as popular as the Khans or the Kapoors, but his work speaks volumes about his talent. Having been a part of films such as Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015) and Finding Fanny (2014), he has dabbled in production as well as direction. Interestingly, his journey behind the camera started off with assisting director Anurag Basu for Barfi! (2012). The two first met on the sets of Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kites (2010), where Anand played a small role.

Anand Tiwari has acted in films such as Aisha (2010), Go Goa Gone (2013) and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! (2015).

Talking about working with Anurag, Anand says, “During the shooting of Kites, our friendship developed. We became friends, but it was a guru-shishya relationship, not the typical buddy-buddy one. He’s a genius. So I was keen on assisting him on Barfi! It was a great experience. I always wanted to act as well as make films, and who’s better than Anurag to learn the art from. My life took a U-turn after Barfi!”

Anand confesses that he is living the life of his dreams. “I am happy and grateful. There are times, when I pinch myself, when I shoot with directors such as Basu, Vikramaditya Motwane and Dibakar Banerjee. I am absolutely a fan of these people. I remember doing a film with Naseeruddin Shah, and while working on it, I realised the enormity of it. I could not believe that I was collaborating with such a great artist. As a child, I’ve watched his amazing films and I’ve fantasised about being a part of the film world. Now, I am part of it and I want to be a part of it till I die.”

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