When Kher turned into Freeman’s fanboy!

Till date, he has won a number of prestigious awards besides getting nominated for global honours such as Screen Actors Guild Awards and BAFTA. In fact, this year itself, Anupam Kher was nominated for his outings in The Big Sick and The Boy With the Topknot (both from 2017). Interestingly, the senior actor readily admits that he still behaves like a fanboy when he meets or spots iconic actors.

“When I go for global award functions, whichever direction I look at, I see best actors from across the world sitting around. And there is a fan inside each one of us, including me. When Morgan Freeman got the lifetime achievement award (at Screen Actors Guild) earlier this year, I ended up clicking a photo with him. In fact, I went up to him as a fan. When I approach someone like that, I don’t do it as an actor, who has done 500 films and is a Padma Bhushan awardee; I go only as a fanboy,” he says.

At international functions, Kher feels like he is “representing my country”. “So, for me, it is like, ‘India’s Anupam Kher’ or ‘Indian actor Anupam Kher’, and it’s a great feeling. In fact, that’s why when you see sportsmen/ athletes [winning medals at] Olympics or Commonwealth Games etc., it gives you a sense of pride. After all, your nationality is mentioned right next to your name on the passport,” he says, adding that he still finds “awards to be fantastic.”

“It makes you feel good because you are taught from childhood that if you study well, you will get an award. So, it must be a great thing. I never got awards in studies or sports. In fact, I remember once my PT teacher, Sada Singh, saw me running and he said, ‘stop running Anupam, because even if you run alone you will come second (laughs)’. So, it is always a great feeling to get awards,” says the actor.

PHOTO: AMAL KS /HT nupam Kher and Morgan reeman (inset)