Anupam Kher recalls playing Hema Malini’s father in the film Vijay: ‘I was much younger than her’

Anupam Kher said that when he did the film Saaransh, he imagined what a 65-year-old would look like, but as someone in his 60s now, he doesn't at all look like his character.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | May 2, 2023 10:36 AM IST

Anupam Kher has often been cast as characters older than he actually is.

Listen to this article

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Actor Anupam Kher reflected on being typecast as older men in his career, and said that he didn’t realise it back then, but this has benefited him over the years. Anupam famously played a 65-year-old in his debut film Saarash. He wasn’t even 30 then.

Contrary to the norms in the film industry, Anupam played fathers to heroines who were actually older than him in real life. In an interview with ANI, he recalled playing Hema Malini’s father in the film Vijay. She is six years older than him.

Also read | Anupam Kher recalls love story with Kirron Kher: ‘She was MA first class, I was a simple village boy’

He said in Hindi, “There is no female actor I haven’t played dad to on screen. I even played Hema Malini’s father in Vijay, even though I was much younger than her. I didn’t realise the benefit of this back then, but I understand it now. I’m going in reverse. When I did Saaransh at the age of 29, I had imagined what a 65-year-old would look like. I’m 66 now, but I don’t look like that at all.”

Asked if his mother would be bothered about him being typecast as older men, he said, “It used to bother her sometimes, but she didn’t have that kind of intellectual capability (to analyse the roles). As long as I was on screen, and as long as people were admiring me and recognising me, she was happy.”

Normally, it’s female actors who are called upon to play mothers and grandmothers to male stars who often continue playing young men even in their 60s and 70s. Recently, actor Rohini Hattangadi spoke about being typecast as matronly characters after playing Kasturba Gandhi at the age of 27 in the film Gandhi. She said in an appearance on the Unfiltered by Samdish YouTube channel, “Jeetendra, Dharmendra, Amitabh ji, Mithun, Shatrughan Sinha, all of them are elder to me, some even ten years older!”

From the homepage