'Karan Johar, Aditya Chopra don't cast me anymore': Anupam Kher
Veteran actor and National Film Awardee Anupam Kher has opened up about no longer being cast by Bollywood biggies like Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, and Sajid Nadiadwala in a recent interview. Kher, who's been embellishing the industry since 1984, looked back upon the stellar work he previously did with such filmmakers and lamented they don't approach him for work anymore. Here's what he said.
Why does this story matter?
Kher, one of the most prolific actors in Indian cinema, has previously been associated with splendid projects of both Johar's Dharma Productions and Chopra's Yash Raj Films. He was part of YRF's Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), and Veer-Zaara (2004), among others. For Dharma, he featured in films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Wake Up Sid (2009).
Kher believes he isn't part of mainstream cinema
In conversation with ETimes, Kher recently said he isn't part of "mainstream Indian cinema" today. The 67-year-old said, "I am not doing any Karan Johar film, I am not doing any Sajid Nadiadwala film, I am not doing any Aditya Chopra film because the offers have not come." Reminiscing on their previous projects, Kher also said he was a "darling of all these people."
However, Kher isn't at loggerheads with these filmmakers
Though Kher said that "it sometimes hurts," he does not have anything against these aforementioned filmmakers. "I am not blaming them for not casting me anymore. But because they were not casting me in their films, I found a path where I did a Tamil film called Connect, I did a Telugu film called Tiger Nageswara Rao. I have also done Sooraj Barjatya's Uunchai."
Kher believes he is rediscovering himself as an actor
Kher further elaborated that although it does sometimes bother him that he doesn't receive offers from his "old friends," he isn't complaining against them. Underlining the offbeat, unconventional films he has been doing across languages, the Lamhe actor said, "I am just saying that sometimes when one door shuts, so many other windows and doors open. I am rediscovering myself as an actor."
Where will we see the actor next?
Kher is currently riding high on the success of The Kashmir Files (2022) and his latest Telugu film Karthikeya 2. He will be next seen in Uunchai, co-starring Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani, on November 11, 2002. He has The Signature in the pipeline, too, which has the distinction of being his 525th film! Kher also has Kaagaz 2 and Emergency in store.
