We have taken our gurus for granted: Anupam Kher

Anupam Kher, who will be the voice of Paramahansa Yogananda in a docu-drama, says he would love to act in a biopic on the yoga guru.

Bollywood actor Anupam Kher has lent his voice to a docu-drama that is based on the life of Paramahansa Yogananda, who is regarded the father of yoga in the west. The film has been directed by two Americans, Paola Di Florio and Lisa Leeman, who are also the spiritual leader’s disciples. “They made me do some meditation and yoga before every [recording] session. They wanted a puritan approach to the film,” says Kher.

Mumbai, February 09, 2016 : Anupam Kher was spotted at a party in Mumbai. (Freelance photo by Shakti Yadav)(Shakti Yadav)

Talking about his part in the movie, he adds, “It’s a first-person narration. It isn’t just a voice over. I am the voice for Yogananda in the movie. It’s a dramatic life story about how he was thrown out of America, and how they (Americans) became insecure about Indian spiritual gurus.”

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Kher is not a follower of Yogananda’s works, but he finds his teachings “very interesting”. While he has acted in many international films, this is the first time he has dubbed for a docu-drama. “I had to go through several emotions, but they had to be conveyed through my voice,” says Kher.

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The senior Bollywood actor feels India should be proud of its spiritual heritage. “We have taken our gurus for granted. We think it (spirituality) comes easily to us, because they (these gurus) belong to our country. I feel every Indian should know what great men our country has produced; they should know gurus like Swami Vivekananda and Yogananda. They were the cultural and spiritual ambassadors of India. And they are still India’s spiritual treasure. I’d love to play him on the big screen if a biopic is ever made on his life,” he says.

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