Anupam Kher has returned to theatre and is beaming with childlike excitement as we speak to him. Despite spending decades as an actor across films and stage, he remains far from complacent. At 71, he still carries the enthusiasm of a newcomer and doesn’t take himself too seriously. His latest play, ‘Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane’, explores modern relationships by taking audiences through the journeys of couples across age groups – from senior citizens to Gen Z.When asked about his take on relationships today versus when he was younger, Kher said, “These days, people break up on WhatsApp, right? During my first romance, it took me six months just to touch her finger. In our generation, there was joy in taking time. I don’t know if today’s generation experiences that in the same way. One of the stories in the play is also about young people today. There are terms like ‘benching’ and all that. People today may not have the same sense of commitment, but we had romance. I’m not criticizing any generation — I think every generation is fantastic. It’s just about giving time to each other.”He elaborated further, “For example, my parents were married for 59 years. I’m married for 41 years. How many marriages can last that long today? People just don’t have patience.” Anupam Kher married Kirron Kher in 1985.As the couple has been together for over four decades, when asked about his mantra for a happy and long marriage, Kher said, “You should become friends because you don’t break the heart of a friend. When you hit below the belt, the same partner who has confided in you something in a very vulnerable moment and during a fight when you remind that person of it, it’s very bad. So, friendship is important and apart from that, mutual respect is important.”Talking about being on stage, he admits he has butterflies still. “I have elephants infact. On the day I do a performance, I don’t eat till the performance is over. I’ve done 500 shows of Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Ka, I never eat till the performance is over. It’s a distracted audience. And you can see, it’s very sensitive. One person is taking a sip, another is looking at the phone.To gather different energies of audiences together and then focus them towards the play is a task in itself. But it’s a joyful task.” ‘Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane’ also sees Swaroop Sampat along with Kher. On movie front, Kher recently directed ‘Tanvi The Great’ which got a lot of critical acclaim.
