Anupam Kher on his legacy: ‘Want to be remembered as a great person, not an actor’| Interview

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Anupam Kher looks back at his legacy, and reveals why he continues to do theatre along with his acting work.

More than four decades after making his debut in Bollywood, Anupam Kher continues to reinvent himself with an array of diverse roles. But the actor believes his journey is far from over, insisting that he still has a long way to go.

Anupam Kher has built a career on versatility, balancing drama and thrill with comedy.

While his body of work has earned him immense acclaim, Anupam says he hopes his legacy extends beyond his performances. More than being remembered as an accomplished actor, he wants people to remember him as a good human being.

On his legacy

Anupam has built a career on versatility, balancing drama and thrill with comedy. He won hearts as the lovable father in Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, delivered memorable laughs in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Khosla Ka Ghosla. He has proved that his journey has always been about much more than comic roles. Beyond his comic turns, Anupam has delivered several hard-hitting performances in films such as A Wednesday, The Kashmir Files, and most recently, Metro... In Dino.

“Abhi toh shuruwat hui hai, abhi toh bahut kuch karna hai (I have just begun. I have still so much to do)... I enjoy my journey on a daily basis. I don't look back. I'm very proud of the fact that I have achieved so much, but I don't gloat about it,” Anupam tells us.

The 71-year-old continues, “I don't carry the burden of Anupam Kher on my shoulders. Every day is a great day. Every day life is beautiful. Every day I wake up, and I say ‘Thank you, God, I woke up’. A lot of people do not wake up.”

When asked how he would like his legacy to be remembered, Anupam says he hopes people look beyond his films and remember him for the person he was.

He said, “I want people to remember that he was a good human being. That's it. That's what matters because merese phele bahut kamal ke log aaye hain, aur mere baad bhi ayenge (There have been many remarkable people before me, and there will be many more after me)… Abhi Ashaji aur Dharam ji gaye hain, jinhone kitna kaam kiya tha (Just recently, we lost Asha ji (Asha Bhosle) and Dharam ji (Dharmendra), who had contributed so much through their work)."

“I'm not interested in being remembered as a great actor. Of course, there have been so many great actors. But if I have touched people's lives somewhere, that is what stays with people for a longer time,” he shares.

On doing theatre

Away from the camera, Anupam is equally immersed in theatre, balancing his screen commitments with his passion for the stage. In recent months, he has been busy with his play, Jaane Pehchaane Anjane. Written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, the play has been produced by Anupam Kher Studio with music by the maestro Anu Malik, and was brought to Delhi recently by Felicity Theatre.

The veteran actor says theatre keeps him alive—not just as an actor, but as a person.

“Theatre zinda rakhta hai mere andar ke actor ko aur insaan ko (theatre keeps the actor and the human being in me alive)... It has a lot to do with reinvention. I get reinvented as an actor and as a person when I do theater… The joy of seeing the audience reacting and the fear of not being able to do the retake, the palpitation, the connecting with the audience, the bond with the co-actors… Apne zinda hone ka ehsaas hota hai when I do theatre (when I do theatre, I'm reminded that I'm truly alive),” he mentions.