Bollywood veteran actor Anupam Kher, who has completed the milestone of 500 films, is all set to impress the audience once again with his upcoming 501st film, ‘M.S Dhoni-The Untold Story’. A theatre enthusiast and two-time National Award-winning actor recently walked the red carpet with Scottish actor Gerard Butler at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of their film “The Headhunter’s Calling”.
In an EXCLUSIVE interview with BOC for his upcoming film M.S.Dhoni-The Untold Story, Anupam Kher shares his experience of stepping into the shoes of Dhoni’s father Pan Singh Dhoni, about his drastic transformation and much more.
This is your 4th film with Neeraj Pandey, how different it was working with him again, this time for a biopic film?
It was not very difficult. He is very nice, hard working, fantastic. He is the same man who goes with his films. I think he knows his scripts so well and his script is fantastic always. This is the script about inspiration, aspiration and basically, I see this film as a relationship film rather than a cricket film.
You are playing a very important role, a father of MS Dhoni, who has had the influence in Dhoni’s every decision and career. What were your first thoughts when you were approached for this role?
I was very much happy that I was playing Dhoni’s father. The point is when you are playing an ordinary person of an extraordinary son, it is very difficult. There is no extraordinary in terms of characteristics of this person. He is just like my father. A middle-class man and like a million of fathers who wants his son to do a better job . So when an actor has to portray an ordinary person, I personally feel its very challenging. I met Pan Singh Dhoni, he was a very simple man but then that’s the beauty of the script is. Also, better the challenging role, is the better I work hard for it. So it was interesting.
But did it look like a huge responsibility?
It is in some way because at the back of my mind he is not somebody that we have not met. Dhoni is playing today also and if I am playing his father, he is not a known person. But for me, M.S Dhoni has to like me. Because if Dhoni is important, his father is important. So for me, what he thinks in terms of how I played his father is very important. I have a feeling he will like it.
How was spending time at his Ranchi house where Dhoni as spent his childhood?
It was like meeting so many friends of my father’s. He is so simple man and he continuously kept saying, “mahi ko hum bole the”, so it was quite interesting as we know him as Dhoni or MS Dhoni. It was a quiet exciting experience for me.
Did you even meet Dhoni’s wife, family, friends?
I had gone to attend Suresh Raina’s wedding so I met Sakshi there but I did meet his friends, his mother. I have not met his sister. They all reminded me of my own family from Shimla as they are also from pahadi region.
How was working with Sushant Singh Rajput?
Very nice, He is a very good actor on and off-screen. I loved working with him.
How was your M.S Dhoni-The Untold Story journey as you have been through the journey of a man who has had been inspirational to many?
It was fantastically aspiration. As a person who has done so much of work has got a lot of inspiration from his (Dhoni) life. It’s fascinating life and yet to keep it cool. What is important is not the success and failure, but how he (Dhoni) has maintained the way he is. I have learned a lot from this.
How excited are you for the film since its nearing for the release?
I am very much excited. It is a very important film for all of us. I am dying to see audience reaction and have seen some of it, it’s amazing.
Are you planning to watch the film with M.S Dhoni?
If it’s organized in such a manner then I will be very happy. I would be very interested in knowing his reaction. He has seen the rough sort of film but I would love him to see the final product and I will call him to know the reaction.
Biopics are too tricky, people often go deep into the narrative as the story is already out to the world, so what do you have to say about his?
I think Neeraj Pandey is a magician. He is a fantastic director. He knows what exactly he is looking for. I know biopics are all such but you are dealing with the person you know what he is doing. He is very precise, ready to the point, he understands cinema. Soon once you see the film, you will know what he has discovered.
In recent times many biopics on sports personalities are being made, how M.S Dhoni biopic is going to be different from them?
It’s because millions of people will identify with it. It’s not about success, it’s about the failure and how is your attitude towards your failure. That’s all the film about.
If biopic is made on you someday, who do you think will be fit to portray you on the big screen?
I think the older portion will be done by me and the younger portion will be done by some younger actor.
In recent times, Censor Board has received lots of criticism over their decisions. What’s your take on this?
There is no phase in life where people are not upset. We live now with this kind of phases, so it’s fine and alright. I think there needs to be a new set of rules to come for censor board which I think are under the guidance of Shyam Benegal. They have submitted it. I think that should be changed because you can’t function on the rules which were made in 1953 and India is now in 2016. If you go by the rule book, then all your decisions will be wrong. So, according to the rule book, we have gone 60 years beyond and we need to keep changing that and recommendations have come. I am sure they will make the difference.
Piracy and films being leaked has turned out to be another major worry for the filmmakers, don’t you think there should be immediate measures taken for this?
I know it’s upsetting as it affects the film. Some sorts of measures should be taken.
What made you reinvent yourself and what makes you look still young, energetic at this age?
I like to keep reinventing myself after every few years. I turned 60 last year and I asked what is that I need to change. I said myself, I should change physically because that will be the most challenging thing and am not the person who paid much attention to weight, fitness freak and such though I was never overweight. So this (M.S Dhoni-The Untold Sory) film came up of Pan Singh role and that time I was shooting with Salman Khan and was meeting Akshay Kumar and to the people who have been working since last so many years….my best friend Anil Kapoor also. And so when all these people said, I though let’s transform yourself. I was 28 when I played the role of 60-year-old man in Saraansh and I am 60 now, so let me go and do some action film now. And that’s how it started and when I started it I got more and more excited. I not only lost 14kgs but also started working out. I feel fantastic and it’s like a drug. The more you see yourself shaping up in a certain manner, the more you feel that it is possible. My life’s theory is based on my Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai play and so I have to keep proving myself. My whole wardrobe has gone for a toss. I never thought that I would be talked about for the change I have brought in, it’s so possible. My mother said, after Salman tweeted about my back photo while me exercising… I went sick and had a knee injury. So she said, “aur dikhaa dhole, aur dikhaa tu body apni” (show more biceps and body to the world) Bt at the end I am happy as it inspires a lot of people. When the younger and middle age people meet me, they say wow this is unbelievable.
How did you wife react on your this decision?
She has also lost a lot of weight. She is very thrilled and sometimes she thinks I am over doing it. In fact today only I told my trainer that it needs just 45 min of your time in a day to pay attention to your body. And these many years I never looked at it but now I am happy
So are you planning to continue with the same what you are doing for your physique?
Yes totally, I am at it. When you get compliments from all over the place like when Gerard Butler had seen me during the making of Headhunters Calling, I was heavier. Then when now I showed him the picture of my body, he said wow man you should have done ‘300’ man. It feels good people saying you look 10 years younger, so it’s a nice compliment.
So when are we seeing you doing an action film?
I don’t’s know. Right now I have taken a complete break in terms of I have not signed any film. This is for the first time in 32 years that I am not doing any Hindi film but I am sure something will come up. You have to take a pause as after interval there is popcorn time and then next innings start. But if am approached for an action film, I am bang on ready!
