Veteran Bollywood actor and theatre artiste Anupam Kher who was in the city recently, is a man whose charisma can only match his humility. He was here to perform his autobiographical play, Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, as part of a fundraising programme for Madras Round Table. “It is autobiographical, at the same time it’s a play about dreams and passion, failure, success and emotions that anybody can relate to,” he says. “I love coming to Chennai, and this time it’s because my friend (actor) Arvind Swamy invited me to be a part of the Round Table programme,” says Anupam, who is currently working on Walt Disney’s first Hindi film Zokkoman.
“There are so many things about Chennai that I like,” he states, as he remembers he has to call director T. Ramarao. “I’ve worked in so many films with him. In fact, I’ve been to the city numerous times in the past for shooting. But for some reason Hindi films are no longer shot here. The atmosphere here is so laidback and yet there is a sense of urgency, which I really like. Chennai makes me feel relaxed.”
And what else does he like about the city? “I enjoy going to Burma Bazaar — it’s like a treasure land, a wonderland. I once bought a camera from there which never worked,” he laughs. “I love the food here too,” he adds. “I especially savour the thenga thogayal.”
Anupam says that for anybody who wants to get into films as an actor, theatre has to be the teaching place. “There are no retakes in a play, and the rehearsals are rigorous. If you want to be an actor and have not attended acting school, then you must participate in theatre.”
So, what genre of films does he love best? “Anything, as long as it is entertaining. Some people find humour entertaining, some people like tragedy, while others like horror. When people come to watch films, they want to be entertained, and I think education should be kept out of the package.”
When asked about the play, Anupam says, “I’m extremely nervous before any performance. It’s a long and taxing play and I’m anxious about how the audience will react. I have some standards and I want to keep improving on them.”