When Anupam Kher threw 'tantrum' on sets about air-conditioners but saw Amitabh Bachchan wrapped in blanket

As Anupam Kher turned 68, revisit time when he threw tantrums on the sets of a Hindi film with Amitabh Bachchan.

Anupam Kher is among the most popular senior actors in Bollywood. He made his acting debut in 1984 with the Mahesh Bhatt-directorial Saaransh and rose to fame with films like Tezaab, Ram Lakhan, Chandni, Parinda and Chaalbaaz among many others. Talking about his career, Anupam once admitted to the tantrums he had on the sets after becoming a big name in the industry.

When Anupam Kher threw tantrums in a Chennai studio but Amitabh Bachchan remained quiet.

Anupam, in an interview, said he learned the hard way to not throw tantrums, especially after an incident. He said it was Amitabh Bachchan whose actions spoke louder than words to him while they were working on a Hindi movie in Chennai. As Anupam turns a year older, here's an anecdote from the sets which changed him.

Talking to Rediff's Arthur J Pais, Anupam was once asked about his ego tantrums when he became renowned. The senior actor chuckled and replied, “I have learnt the hard way not to do it. I mention an episode in the show, which made me think deeply about humility and respecting others. I was in a studio in Chennai shooting for a Hindi film. I discovered there was no air-conditioning in the makeup room. I began yelling and complaining that I had thought the studios in Chennai were better equipped. Naturally, there was a delay.”

“When I walked on the sets, Amitabh Bachchan was sitting there. I discovered he had been there for an hour with full makeup. He was covered by a blanket because the scene required him to be like that. I asked him if he was feeling hot. He said if he thought it was hot, he would feel so. If he did not think about it, naturally he did not feel hot. He was trying to say that a lot of things were in our minds, and we could control how we felt,” he added further.

Anupam was last seen in Shiv Shastri Balboa, alongside Neena Gupta, Nargis Fakhri, and Sharib Hashmi. He will next be seen in The Vaccine War. Directed by Vivek Agnihotri, the film will revolve around India's contributions in the race to produce a Covid-19 vaccine during the outbreak.