JAB BACHCHAN SAHAAB NE ANUPAM KHER KO DIN MEIN NEED SE JAGAAYA THA

It was a dream start for Anupam Kher after the success of his two very different performances in “Saaransh" in which he played a sixty-seven year old man who has to fight for the urn containing the ashes of his only son who had died in America and then a very daring and different role as the vicious villain, Dr Dang -Ali Peter John

As it happens in the industry, the actor who had to go from office to office to find any work was now being flooded with offers free filmmakers all over.

One of the important films he had signed was K. Bhagyaraj's “Aakhree Raasta" which had Sridevi and Jayaprada as the two leading ladies and Sadashiv Amrapurkar as the main villain, besides of course Amitabh Bachchan in the main role.

The unit was shooting in a studio in an atmosphere that was dark and dingy and the scene to be shot between Amitabh and Anupam did not need any light or air-conditioning.

Anupam had developed all the false airs of an actor who had suddenly shot into the limelight.

He walked on to the set with his newly acquired secretary, make-up man and spotboy, Dattu (who is still working with him after forty years).

He had one look all around and started throwing his new found star tantrums. He complained about the conditions in and around and made a hue and cry about there being no air-conditioners (he had forgotten the days when he used to live in a slum where there was no question of there being electricity and stardom had taken hold of him.

He continued making a lot of noise and asking for the producer to complain about his requirements...

Till he saw a strange-looking man sitting in a corner. The man had worn a woollen coat, he had a huge woollen shawl around his shoulders, he had a fully grown grey beard and he was wearing gold-rimmed round spectacles and was quietly waiting for his shot.

Anupam went closer to the figure in the chair and was completely taken by shock when he saw that the figure was no one else but the megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

Anupam was bewildered and even nervous. He went up to Amitabh and bowed before him, asked him how he managed to keep waiting in the atmosphere and the get-up he was in and how he was not feeling uncomfortable and was not even making an issue of it even though he was the star among all stars.

Amitabh looked away from the book he was reading and said, “Anupam, you can be uncomfortable and feel that you are uncomfortable, but believe that you are normal and nothing is affecting you and you will never feel uncomfortable,hot and will be your normal self and carry on the work you are heavily paid to do".

Anupam returned after he had learned a very important lesson which no book could teach him. He has been following Amitabh's advice about such situations ever since.

This one scene proves why Amitabh is Amitabh and Anupam and all the other stars and superstars are what they are and where they are.

Incidentally, Anupam is coming out with his autobiography next month and I wonder if he has included this story in all the other stories which he says are stories that came to him UNKNOWINGLY.

ANUPAM NE APNI ZINDAGI AUR ZINDAGI KE BAAREME KITAABE LIKKHI HAI . LEKIN AMITABH SE ACHHA ZINDAGI KI SEEKH PAHILI BAAR TOH AMITABH NE HI SIKHYAAI THI , JISSE WOH KABHI BHOOLE NAHI TOH UNNKE LIYE ACHHE HOGAA .