Happy Birthday, Anupam Kher

Anupam Kher is  a  very passionate man. He doesn’t like to let go of any opportunities in life. Which is why he takes on  a Saaraansh with as much excitement  as  a Kya Kool Hain Hum, although the two are as different as Rajesh Khanna is from Mukesh Khanna.And the  other brings him flak for  being a greedy actor.

 But as  he told me, when one has been  jobless and seeking  ways to  make one’s life worthwhile for many years, the  hunger to take optimum  opportunities is  a given.

To Anupam work is not  worship , it is a war-ship…He treats every minute as  a  visit to the  warzone optimizing his  energy to top-up the frenzy of the  moment. For Anupam every  day is a  tall large glass of  lather,  foamy  and heady  at the top, deeply invigorating at  the  bottom.

 Anupam  once  told me,  “There’s  a whole  avalanche  of  commitments waiting for my attention.And  no, it doesn’t make me weary,just more charged-up to  do more  work. I believe  24 hours in  a day is  not enough for  what  I  want  to do. But I also believe any and every thing can be  done  in  those  24 hours.Saying there isn’t enough time  is   just  an excuse.  You can  make time for anything that  you want to do,” says  Anupam who  has  several  film projects  on the  anvil

At some  point Anupam also wants  to  write  more  motivational  books.But no politics.

Which  role does  he enjoy the  most? “I am first and  foremost an actor.  But I am  a RESPONSIBLE  actor. I don’t believe  my work is  over  once  I finish my  shot. No!  I have  a voice and  I must use  it to make a  difference to  society.  You cannot be empowered  and  not  use  that  power  to help those who are not empowered.

Anupam’s favourite roles?  “Saaraansh , of course. 35 years  ago  I played the  age that  I am now . I am grateful to the great  Sanjeev  Kumar  for  opting out of  that project.Because of him I  got to do  one of  the most brilliantly written characters  at the beginning  of  my career. There are many  favourites.I love all the roles  that I’ve played including those that got me flak. I am what I am today because of all the  risks that  I’ve taken.I am grateful  for the mistakes  that I’ve made. They’ve helped me  better myself.

Formula  for  good living? “Stay  fit,eat  well, sleep  enough hours…Lead  a disciplined  life.  That doesn’t mean  you  have to be  a saint.  Do  everything you want to, but in  moderation.I feel  more energized and  enthusiastic  about life at  66  than  I did  at 24.”

I remember when Anupam came home  a couple of years ago. He was full of beans, clicking pictures with my cook maid and  man-Friday,arguing me down to helpless submission, ticking off a guest for not giving us(Anupam and I)alone-time together.

Then he  said he wanted to see my workplace. I  took him to my room. He looked around and then without warning, lay down on the bed in the  room.

“Just for a  quick  power nap,” he said before shutting  out the world.

Sometimes, it’s good to simply stop in the  middle of hectic activity and  shut one’s eyes for a  few minutes.

“I am no longer running after my dreams. I’ve pretty much done what I had to do. Projecting myself in the right light is no longer a  priority,” says the actor-teacher-author-activist who has pretty much covered the entire gamut of life’s experience on and off screen