National award-winning veteran actor Anupam Kher shares his thoughts on the power of failure and what motivates him to remain unstoppable at the age of 69 here at the 55th International Film Festival of India 2024 in Goa.
Celebrated actor Anupam Kher opens up on how every failure opened the door to success in his journey as an artist while conducting a masterclass with an audience and film enthusiasts at the 55th International Film Festival of India 2024, here in Goa. He also revealed that he made his debut at the film festival 40 years ago with the screening of his first Hindi film, Saaransh.
The specially designed session titled “Power of Failure” had Kher take the audience on a joyride of nostalgia as he shared his childhood memories and anecdotes from Shimla.
While having an interaction with some of the young audience, he encouraged them to find the fire within, to grow in life.
Anupam Kher said, “I think we must not forget the fact that the almighty has created us with something very special; each one of us is unique. You know what is the best example of that? Our fingerprints are different! So, we should always look for that extraordinary element within us instead of feeling complacent. For example, recently I did a film titled Vijay 69 that released on Netflix. In the film, I played the character of a 69-year-old man who takes part in a triathlon for which obviously one has to walk, swim, cycle, and run. I did not know how to swim, so when I expressed my concern to our film director, he asked me not to worry as he decided to shoot it with my body double.”
“I was not ok with that idea because the film is about that man’s journey in triathlon. So, I went and learned swimming at the age of 68! Yes, it is possible, and one must not ignore the inner strength of an individual; the fire is in us,” he mentioned.
It is interesting to observe how in the recent past Anupam Kher has been playing the protagonist and physically tough characters in many of his films, like The Kashmir Files, Uunchai, Shiv Shastri Balboa, The Signature, and Vijay 69, to name a few.
While the audience asked him if he has any fitness regime, the actor said, “I understand the importance of fitness, so I started working out at the age of 60. So, it’s been 9 years I have been working out; otherwise, for the longest time, I thought that since my muscle memories are strong, I am capable of performing on stage; I do not need an extra fitness regime. But I realized that as I am aging, if I want experimental roles in films, I have to look different, fit! That’s how my fitness journey has started.”
International Film Festival India 2024, Goa, started on November 20. The festival is screening 270 films from 81 countries, including 15 world premieres. The festival is celebrating the centenary of four icons of Indian cinema—actor-director Raj Kapoor, filmmaker Tapan Sinha, Telugu star Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and singer Mohammed Rafi—with a special tribute program. The festival ends on November 28.
