Anupam Kher recalls trying marijuana, bhang; felt he had ‘gone crazy’: ‘Swore I would never do it again’

Anupam Kher recalled the instance when he first ever tried marijuana and decided he would never touch it again in his life.

Anupam Kher was last seen in Tanvi the Great

Anupam Kher recalled the time during NSD when he had bhang and laughed for eight hours straight. (Photo: Anupam Kher/Instagram)

Anupam Kher started his career in the 1980s and has been an active part of the movies for almost 41 years. The film industry, for a very long time now, has been accused of promoting narcotics and other banned substances, and many actors, over the years, have admitted that they have tried such substances. In a recent interview, Anupam shared that he has tried marijuana in the past. He also spoke about having bhaang during Holi celebrations and shared that he vowed never to do it again.

Talking about his encounter with marijuana, he laughed and shared on Unfiltered by Samdish, “I think I must have taken two drags, and then I looked up at the sky. A plane must have taken off from the airport, so I started watching it. I kept watching it until it became a tiny dot in the sky. And I think I kept looking at it until it must have landed at Heathrow Airport.” He further added, “I had gone crazy. And the same day, when I sat in my car, I felt as if the road was running or the car was running.”

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In the same conversation, he also spoke about the time he consumed bhang (cannabis) while studying at the National School of Drama. “When I tried it, I swore I would never do it again, because I laughed for eight hours straight.” He went on to recall the entire scene in the NSD hostel, where his batchmates, also high, were standing on the terrace telling the warden, “The army is coming.” He added, “I kept telling them I would die laughing and begged them to save me.”

He also recounted how he felt no one was responding to him despite his repeated pleas. In retrospect, he said he realised he was speaking complete gibberish because he was high. “And I kept waiting for my friend to reply, wondering why he wasn’t answering me. It was exactly like how they show things in Jim Carrey’s film The Mask. But after that, I never touched it again.”

In an earlier interview with Filmfare, Anupam recalled an incident when he was travelling with his wife Kirron Kher and had packed dhoop (incense) in his shaving kit. When US airport security discovered it, they suspected it might be a drug. He shared how Kirron added fuel to the fire with her commentary as officers checked his bag. “She screamed loudly, ‘Charas lekar ghoom rahe ho?’ (You’re roaming around with hashish?) And I told her, ‘Agar main bach gaya inn logon se toh main bahar nikal ke divorce de dunga.’ (If I survive these people, I’ll come out and divorce you.)”

Anupam Kher was last seen in the film Tanvi the Great, which he also directed.

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