He says he loves the food in Chennai, but its not any of the popular eateries that have caught Anupam Kher’s fancy. “Whenever I am in Chennai, I try to visit Arvind’s (actor Arvind Swamy) home. But this time actually I went there for dinner on the night I arrived. The food he served was amazing, and I am a foodie!” he said with a smile. Anupam has a strong connect with the city — it’s his pit stop before going to Tirupathi. “My wife (Kirron Kher) and I love to visit Tirupathi and Arvind helps us by managing the darshan and we drive there in his car. Kirron on the other hand loves to visit the city for her saris. She knows exactly where to buy her saris from,” he added.
In Chennai to perform the play Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha, Anupam shares that this particular production is very close to his heart. “I turned 60 on March 7 this year and many said ‘Oh you have turned 60, you should have a party’. I decided doing a play would be a better way to celebrate this milestone birthday.” He added, “Working on this play has been exciting and wonderful it is frightening as there is no retake, so the adrenaline-rush is faster at 60. And just a minute of this rush is worth everything. This is in fact the reason why they say no award is comparable to a great performance on stage,” said Anupam.
“It is a new city and we need to rehearse for which, I would be switching off. A sold out show in a new city is nerve-wracking. Two-three hours prior to the play, I stop talking; I can’t breathe and there is panic. I want to be the best. Be it the 325th show of my previous play, or this one, I am still nervous before a performance,” he said candidly.
Interestingly, Neena Gupta was not the original choice for the role. “Kirron was supposed to be cast in the play, in fact that is how the whole thing started rolling. However, after she became a politician, she has not been able to give time for play rehearsals. We now have Neena Gupta, who is not a replacement, but the second best option for this play and she is fantastic,” explained Anupam.
He juggles international TV series; talk shows, movies, motivational lectures, rehearsals for play and more on a daily basis. So does he plan to slow down at 60? “What is 60? According to me it is just a number, no different from 30. The best part about being an actor is that you get to act in a play at any age, provided your physicality and mental balance is there,” he quipped. Considering all that Anupam Kher does, one wonders, who is the apple of his eye? “Myself. I believe, if I don’t give importance to myself then I can’t give importance to some one else and if I don’t love myself then I can’t love some one else,” he concluded.
