If you’re unemployed today, you need to rediscover yourself
You could end up with a bunch of quotable quotes in a chat on age and ageing with Anupam Kher, who turns 65 today. Apart from the cliché that age is, well, just a number, the actor, who is busy working on an American show in the US and looking forward to beginning work on some Indian projects, says he had stopped counting his years right when he touched 50.
“It’s all about what you do. Some people don’t do anything even when they’re young, and some people do a lot after 50. So after 50, I stopped counting the years. Let’s just put it this way that I’m 49,” the actor tells us over the phone after a rigorous gym session in New York.
His birthday will be like any other day. “Every day that you get to do what you’ve been wanting to — whether in terms of your work or passion — it’s a wonderful day to feel alive. And to feel alive is to celebrate your birthday. I’m excited with every sunrise and every film I do. Yes, a birthday is special, but I’m not doing anything spectacular.”
Kher usually devotes time to a charitable group on his birthday. “After 50, it’s time to give [to society] rather than take [things] on your birthday,” he believes. But he may have to put those plans on hold this year as, due to the coronavirus scare, many organisations are wary of conducting group activities.
Citing the examples of octogenarian icons such as Clint Eastwood, Dustin Hoffman and Woody Allen, he adds the “time factor has completely changed”. “Chhote ho ya bade, if you’re talented, hardworking and disciplined, you will keep getting a lot of work. There is so much work. There are web series, TV shows, cinema... There are so many platforms that if you’re unemployed in today’s time, it means you need to rediscover yourself,” says Kher, who has done 500-plus films.
For those who follow Kher’s social media updates, you can’t miss his encounters with people in the US. He explains that when you come to a foreign land, you tend to look for “apnaapan”, which he finds in Indians. “Any Hindustani I meet here misses Hindustan in their own way... And whenever they see anyone from Bollywood, they feel happy because it’s a strong connect they have with India,” he says.
The Silver Linings Playbook (2012) actor also finds it heartening how people across the world are “waking up to India” and engaging in crosscultural talent exchange. “India has always been a very culturally rich country, and it has become a huge market for the entertainment business in the world. It’s great and wonderful,” he adds.