Anupam Kher recalls suffering from facial paralysis during 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun': 'People thought my career was over'

Anupam Kher, who is gearing up for the release of his next film, 'Vijay 69', shared an emotional note on Instagram, stating that he has completed a long 40 years in the film industry. The actor reflected on his early struggles, the breakthrough that changed his life, and a time when he had only Rs 4,000 in his bank account.

In his post, Kher recounted how he fought hard to be recognised in the industry. He pointed out that his performance as a 65-year-old father in his first film, 'Saaransh', proved many doubters wrong. He thanked Mahesh Bhatt for trusting him with the film. However, he faced tough times when he nearly went bankrupt.

Check out his post here:


The actor captioned this post, “Friend! I didn’t even remember that I had spent 40 years in the Indian film industry. It was pointed out to me during the marketing meeting of my forthcoming release, #Vijay69, by people at least 30-40 years younger than me. It made me emotional that my work had touched them. I was proud to be an actor… again. I guess 40 years just flew by because I kept doing something that I truly love from the bottom of my heart. Being an actor is not my profession; it is my identity… just wanted to share this with all the fellow dreamers out there… Jai Ho! ��❤️��”

In his post, Kher wrote, “I went bankrupt in 2002. I even did a play about my failures during that period. I had only Rs 4,000 left in my account. But I didn't complain or blame anyone. I just worked harder.”

Kher also shared a challenging time when he suffered from facial paralysis while filming 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' Many thought his career was over, but he pushed through.


He mentioned, “I have thrived on failures. Failures teach you much more than success. When I had facial paralysis during the shoot of 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun', people thought my career was over. I started as a Hindi medium student and ended up working in major Hollywood films alongside stars like Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Keira Knightley.” Reflecting on his early days, Kher recalled, “I often went hungry, and sometimes I had to sleep at railway stations because I couldn’t afford a room. There were times I felt I had lost my dignity as a person and as an actor." He wanted everyone to dream, as he ended his note by saying, “Sapno ki koi expiry date nahi hoti.”


He will portray Vijay, a 69-year-old aspiring triathlete, in 'Vijay 69'. For this role, he learned to swim and trained as a triathlon athlete. He mentioned, “I broke my shoulder and faced many injuries, but it was all worth it.”

'Vijay 69' will be available for streaming on Netflix from November 8.