Mumbai: Veteran actor Anupam Kher follows the philosophy that age is just a number. Anupam Kher said his upcoming feature film Uunchai aligns with his belief system.
The film features Kher, Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa as four friends in their twilight years. The Sooraj Barjatya-directed drama follow these characters on a trek that turns out to be a personal, emotional and spiritual journey as they battle their physical limitations and discover the true meaning of freedom.
Kher was in his late 20s when he played the role of a 65-year-old man in 1984’s Saaransh. He believes elderly characters are often stereotyped but Uunchai doesn’t ‘write us off’.
“People usually say that if you cross 60 you don’t have possibilities. But that is not happening in Uunchai. It is not a serious film. It is about three believable people. My faith in this film is based on my own philosophy of life that – its people who decide you have become old. Here, we have the habit of calling uncle ji and aunty ji,” Kher said.
“When I was working with Robert De Niro, a 19-year-old assistant would call him Bob or Robert. We don’t do this here. Here people are easily tagged. So, this is a different film,” Kher stated.
The movie marks Kher and Barjatya’s fourth collaboration after Hum Aapke Hain Koun….!, Vivaah and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. The actor said it was an instant yes when the director narrated the script of Uunchai.
“I was so happy because I wanted to tell the world – don’t write us off. I have been saying this for many years and that was the reason why I started working on myself and my body,” Kher informed. The movie challenges the perception that 60 is the age to ‘retire’, Kher added.
“I believe life starts post that and you discover new things to do. I have never made my parents feel redundant. My mother is 84 and I still learn so much from her knowledge of life,” Anupam Kher pointed out.
Uunchai has been shot extensively across various locations in India and Nepal. For Kher, working on the film was a life-altering experience. “Shooting of the film has been tough in terms of physicality. But Sooraj and his unit are so wonderful that you want to give your best,” he said.
The actor credits his directors like Neeraj Pandey (Special 26 and A Wednesday) and Dibarkar Banerjee (Khosla Ka Ghosla) for bringing out the best in him. “There are best directors who bring out the best in you. So, better the director, better the performance,” Kher asserted.
Uunchai is scheduled to be released in theatres November 11. Actors Neena Gupta, Sarika, and Parineeti Chopra round the cast.
Besides Uunchai, Kher will also be seen in Kangana Ranaut-directed Emergency and Vivek Agnihotri’s Vaccine.
