When Anupam Kher entered Bollywood as an actor in the 1980s, the industry was ruled by Anil Kapoor, Sunny Deol and Sanjay Dutt, among others. While most of them established themselves as style icons, Anupam was experiencing a hair fall problem. He says his conviction made him flaunt his bald look.
Recalling those days, Anupam told IANS here: "When you have nothing, and everything is going against you, you are left with your conviction. That is my story. When I came into the industry, I had struggled so much. Around that time, my hair started falling unevenly so that became another problem but I am always driven by conviction. Today, bald is sexy."
"I remember my manager back then, Ashok Panjabi, suggested me to go for hair treatment and wear wigs. I was like, no way, this is how I look. This is real to me. If I come out in public wearing wigs, the person next to me will understand that my hair is false and I have to pretend that I have so much hair…but why should I pretend in real life? I am an actor," shared the actor, who made his debut in 1984 with the film "Saaransh".
Coming from Himachal Pradesh, the alumnus of the National School Of Drama had more interest in becoming an actor than a hero in films.
"I thought if I can become an actor, I will do more films for the longest time than a so-called ‘hero' or superstar because that stardom comes with a shelf life. Now when I look back, I think those actors have more number of hair and I have a good number of films," he quipped.
"Okay, I am joking…but isn't it true?"
In Bollywood, Anupam gained popularity with films like "Daddy", "Lamhe", "1942: A Love Story", "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" and "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara". Internationally, he worked in films like "Bend It Like Beckham", "Bride and Prejudice" and "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger".
"It is true that getting the right opportunity at the right time is very important to flourish, to get success but I also believe that it is up to an individual on what he does with life," he said.
"When I do films in Hollywood, I give an audition. This is the process and a very logical process for me to follow. I have no ego about it because I do not take myself seriously.
"So when people call me a veteran, and give me lifetime achievement awards, I wonder if they are indicating that I should retire as an actor…trust me, I won't do that because I am a student," added the 64-year-old.
Anupam will be seen in the forthcoming film "One Day: Justice Delivered", which will open on July 5.