‘Tanvi the Great’ was inspired by my niece, gave a sense of fulfilment: Anupam Kher

Actor Anupam Kher said the film ‘Tanvi the Great’, which his niece Tanvi inspired, made him a better person

PANAJI: Actor Anupam Kher, whose film ‘Tanvi the Great’ premiered at the 56th edition of the International Film Festival of India in Goa, said the film, which his niece Tanvi inspired, made him a better person.

The actor said that while he had nothing against commercial cinema -- the industry depends on production houses making a profit -- making movies solely to try to make a profit didn’t sit right with him. (X/IFFIGoa)

“The film is about goodness which we rarely see in today’s time. There are good people but we are a little held back in showing our goodness. It celebrates goodness, it celebrates music. In our film there’s a dialogue, the opposite of normal is not abnormal, it’s extraordinary,” Kher said.

The film ‘Tanvi the Great’, starring actor Shubangi Dutt as Tanvi, an autistic girl who pursues her late father’s dream of saluting the flag at Siachen Glacier. She faces barriers in military service due to autism but remains determined to complete the mission.

“The story of this film goes back to three years ago to a family wedding, where everyone was dancing and having a merry time, but Tanvi, who is my niece, was just staring out of the window. When I asked her what she was looking at, she said: ‘I’m looking at my world.’ And it struck me that I didn’t know what her world was,” Kher said.

The actor said that while he had nothing against commercial cinema -- the industry depends on production houses making a profit -- making movies solely to try to make a profit didn’t sit right with him.

Kher, who was also present at the launch of IFFIESTA, organised by Doordarshan and Waves OTT, thanked Doordarshan for holding fort as the sole source of content over the years.

“We all started our lives with Doordarshan. We are fortunate that it was Doordarshan that introduced us to the world of cinema. I was born because of Doordarshan, which I can’t forget. Doordarshan is a fragrance that lingers in our lives, still wrapping us in its embrace,” he said.

Spread across nine days from November 20th to 28th, IFFI will feature 240 films from 81 countries.