Anupam Kher is a renowned actor celebrated for performing in hundreds of films across Bollywood, Hollywood, and global cinema. With a career spanning more than four decades, he is best known for iconic roles in films like ‘Saaransh’, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, and ‘A Wednesday’, earning him numerous prestigious awards.
During an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Anupam Kher voiced his concerns about the Indian film industry, suggesting it is grappling with an identity crisis. He expressed, “I think Hindi cinema is going through an identity crisis, I think we are…. not all of us but, I feel they feel being cool is, they’ve got the definition wrong somewhere of being cool, so they are trying to… including me, I’m trying to sort of ape the West. Hollywood ki joh filme hoti hai usme coolness yeh hai but, humare body language me woh coolness nahi hai, hum gestures istemaal karte hai, 22 humari official languages hai, har 500km ke baad naya khana hai, naya veesh-bhusha hai… unko angreezi me bola hai, ‘I love you,’ humare yaha par 50 tarike hai.”
The actor also expressed his concerns about the current state of Bollywood, emphasizing that the industry is losing its identity by trying to emulate Western styles. He believes that being cool means being original and authentic. Kher recalled the joy and originality of films from the 1990s, such as ‘Lamhe’, ‘Shola Aur Shabnam’, and ‘Haseena Maan Jayegi’. He criticized the modern perception of coolness, which often involves wearing ripped jeans and using foul language, instead advocating for values like punctuality, honesty, respect, and valuing women’s opinions as true markers of coolness.
On the work front, Anupam Kher was last seen in Kangana Ranaut’s ‘Emergency’. The film revolves around the political unrest during the 1975-77 Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.