HT CITY SHOWSTOPPERS| Anupam Kher: Going risque can sometimes turn out to be a circus

Anupam Kher channels mafia-inspired looks for a special shoot with HT City Showstoppers, discussing his personal approach to fashion and evolution in his career

Anupam Kher has been a part of the Indian film industry for over four decades, and he has witnessed the evolution of fashion through this while and been a part of it. Yet, he gets excited as he shoots for HT City Showstoppers in Godfather-meets-Gatsby inspired mafia theme.

Anupam Kher in HT City Showstoppers shoot(Photo: Priyankk Nandwana)

Ask him about his style statement and he says, “I feel fashion sense is supposed to be what makes you feel comfortable, but I genuinely don't have that sense. There are so many things that I may not be able to carry, but I feel that if I feel comfortable, that is my fashion statement. I'm not a fashion icon but I'm decently dressed and I'm not over the top. I don't play safe in my life or in my acting, but with clothes, I play safe,” quipping, “My hairstyle is my uniqueness, that is my fashion statement. I'm comfortable with it.”

Kher channels a relaxed, vintage-inspired style that’s both effortless and classic. Wearing a simple white shirt with suspenders and pleated trousers by Pawan Sachdeva, the actor gives a nod to stylishly nostalgic fashion A sophisticated addition to your home and workspace, this table clock from Three Sixty boasts a stainless steel exterior complemented by genuine leather cladding in a sleek waxy finish(Photo: Priyankk Nandwana)

Having come from a time where no one used to have a full entourage trying to make you look good on screen, Anupam admits he is learning to grow with it too. But he feels that the way men’s fashion is evolving, sometimes it comes across adversely too. “Going risque can sometimes turn out to be a circus too. I see the forcefulness of it now and that's not a great thing. Aaj to aap sar pe balti bhi latka lete ho in the name of fashion. At the end of it, fashion is what makes you comfortable,” he says.

The actor looks sharp in a striped vest and pants paired with a white shirt and bow tie from Pawan Sachdeva. The ensemble is further elevated with the addition of a classic pocket watch(Photo: Priyankk Nandwana)

The 69-year-old says he likes being traditional in that way. “I think traditional clothing are the best and suits are the best thing. I wear a skirt for a fashion show once inspired from (actor) Ranveer Singh, but I couldn’t carry it. I regretted wearing that and I felt such an idiot. So, it's not my personality,” he says, adding that his fashion sounding board is his wife actor-MP Kirron Kher. “I think Kiran is very good. Initially she used to design for me also but then she got busy with politics and other things. So, now whatever I feel fine with, I decide on that.”

Anupam Kher embodies vintage sophistication in this striking monochrome ensemble by Don & Julio. The well-fitted three-piece suit, paired with a beige-brown checked overcoat, a tie, and a flat cap effortlessly blends refinement with old-world charm (Photo: Priyankk Nandwana)

The table has been spruced up with a rectangular tray crafted from genuine leather, featuring brass handles, courtesy of Three Sixty. Alongside it, a tissue box holder and a set of four square coasters are neatly arranged with a tan-hued poker box from the same brand. This portable leather picnic bar from Three Sixty adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to any setting(Photo: Priyankk Nandwana)

Anupam’s fashion inspiration comes from men who wear suits well, including the likes of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. He has a special love for the formal wear: “It was my dream to wear a black tuxedo while receiving my first award because there used to be a few magazines at that time which used to have these pictures of actors in their premieres or award functions. So, I had decided that whenever I get my first award, I will wear a black tuxedo and when I got my first Best Actor award for Saaransh (1984), I wore it and I think I carried it really well.”

At the age of 69, Anupam is going at his highest pace in his career and he sees it as a great sense of achievement. “It’s because not only you have reinvented yourself as an actor, but you've also reinvented yourself as a person. Chote se sheher ka ek normal ladka, jo blue shorts and white chequed shirt pehenta tha, is now giving a fashion spread, so it has been a great journey,” he says.

This look exudes a vintage, Gatsby-inspired elegance. Kher sports a classic, textured three-piece suit paired with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie, all by designer Pawan Sachdeva. Completing the look are a flat cap and a cane, adding a charm reminiscent of early 20th-century sophistication (Photo: Priyankk Nandwana)

With his career spanning over four decades now, the actor insists that his eagerness to learn is what has kept him going all these years. “I went to a Hindi medium school where even the English alphabets were taught in the fifth standard. But I also did a film which got 8 nominations for Oscars, Silver Linings Playbook (2012). I have worked with (actor) Robert De Niro, have played a main character in an American medical drama. It could only happen because I don't have a fear of failure, and I enjoy experimenting. Nothing can be achieved without taking risks, and you need to have some patience. I'm in a position now where it's okay if I'm not working for two months and then I get a film like Vijay 69. With a performance like this, I can survive and wait for another such role to come up again,” he ends.

Creative Director and Producer: Shara Ashraf Prayag

Styling: Sameer Katariya

Photographer: Priyankk Nandwana

Talent Coordination: Monika Rawal

Production: Akash Bhatnagar and Zahera Kayanat

Hair and Makeup: Mangesh Desai and Satyajeet Desai Accessories: Three Sixty 
Shoes: Escaro Royale

Location: Hebbar’s Heritage Home, Mumbai