Anupam Kher: I didn’t let the world of glamour change me

Anupam Kher is introducing Shubhangi Dutt in his upcoming film Tanvi The Great. A former student of his acting school, Shubhangi now gets the chance to share screen space with him in his directorial project. Happy to have guided her before introducing her to movies, Kher says, “Mentorship is in my soul”. Kher dropped out from college to study theatre at Panjab University, Chandigarh and in 1978, he graduated from the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi before coming to Mumbai.He recalls, “I slept on the railway platform for 27 days. I had no home and no time to eat. I do not indulge in self-pity. Now, I hear numerous stories: I came to the city to be an acting coach but when I got here, there were no acting schools. So, I have taught on the beaches and on the steps of a temple.”Kher believes he has a knack for mentoring newcomers. “They say that I am a non-trained psychologist. Pahadon mein rehke log aise hi hote hai. Pahad aapko yahi sikhate hai ki mujhe kaise grounded rehna hai. I have made a conscious effort to not let the big city change my soul. I am proud of the fact that I didn’t let the world of glamour change me. When I speak to people, I don’t sit on a pedestal and imagine a halo behind my head.”