Kher and Bhatt’s 34-year-old pact

As a token of appreciation for giving him his debut film, Anupam Kher has been giving Mahesh Bhatt a small amount from each of his projects for the past three decades

At 28, Anupam Kher played the defining role of his career in Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaransh. While Kher had played bit roles before the film, Bhatt gave him his first full-fledged role, and since then, Kher has credited the film-maker for giving him the break that he needed. However, the actor has been giving Bhatt more than simple credit. Apparently, there exists an unspoken understanding between the two, wherein a small amount from each of Kher’s projects will be presented to the film-maker as a token of his appreciation.

Mahesh Bhatt gave Anupam Kher one of his career defining roles with Saaransh.

Talking about the pact, the actor had said in an interview, “Not only as an actor, but as somebody who comes from a small town, the country and the industry has given me an opportunity to showcase my work without having any godfather or film background. Saaransh changed my life. I was 28 (then). Thank you Mahesh Bhatt saab for your faith and Rajshri for the debut film.”

sneha.mahadevan@htlive.com