Why Did Anupam Kher Wait Two Decades to Direct a Film?

New Delhi, July 12 (NationPress) Renowned Bollywood actor Anupam Kher has made his return to directing with “Tanvi The Great” after a hiatus of more than two decades, and he explained the reasons behind his long absence from the director's chair.

Anupam initially stepped into directing with the 2002 Hindi drama, “Om Jai Jagadish,” featuring a stellar cast including Waheeda Rehman, Anil Kapoor, Fardeen Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahima Chaudhry, Urmila Matondkar, and Tara Sharma. His latest project, “Tanvi The Great,” represents his comeback as a director after a span of 23 years.

When asked about the delay in creating a new film, Anupam responded to IANS: “I didn’t have anything to share with the world before. For me, making a film is about telling something I truly believe in.”

He expressed that as an actor, he feels he is thriving. “In fact, I’m reinventing myself. I’ve accomplished remarkable work over the past seven or eight years. Yet, as a director, I aimed to narrate a story that first resonated with me, and then projected it into the world.”

The septuagenarian further elaborated on how “Tanvi The Great” came to fruition.

“When I encountered my niece Tanvi at my brother’s daughter’s wedding, I asked her, ‘Tanvi, what are you observing?’ since she seemed detached from the celebrations. She replied, ‘I’m observing my world.’”

“That moment inspired me to create something centered around goodness. I firmly believe in goodness. My father used to say: the easiest thing in the world is to bring joy to someone.”

He emphasized that “we inhabit a world where we are perpetually made to feel something is amiss. You turn on the television, and all you hear is negative news. Someone is always trying to convince you that others are excelling, making you feel inferior. So where do we find the strength to live joyfully?”

He remarked that someone on the autism spectrum embodies only the essence of goodness.

“When this narrative unfolded to me, and my team and I began writing, it transformed into a form of catharsis. It was a purging experience for the 240 individuals on set. If it evokes that feeling in us, I trust it will resonate with others too, tapping into the inherent goodness within every viewer.”

He asserted that everyone possesses the capacity for goodness.

“And I’m not proclaiming this as a philosopher. This conviction has come at a significant cost — it has required considerable resources, which we may not even have at present. However, for certain aspects of life, one must endure discomfort to uphold what they genuinely believe in.”

Anupam concluded: “My belief is that Tanvi the Great, along with Tanvi herself, are here to inspire us to perceive life differently — to foster a positive outlook on life.”

“Tanvi The Great” features Jackie Shroff, Arvind Swami, Boman Irani, Pallavi Joshi, Karan Tacker, Nasser, along with Anupam Kher and Iain Glen.

The film also showcases two Oscar-winning talents, music director M.M. Keeravani and sound designer Resul Pookutty. The cinematographer for the film is Keiko Nakahara from Japan.

The narrative revolves around Tanvi Raina, a 21-year-old woman on the autism spectrum, who resides with her mother Vidya and grandfather Colonel Pratap Raina.

Driven by the inspiration of her late father, Captain Samar Raina, an Indian Army officer who aspired to salute the flag at Siachen Glacier, Tanvi is determined to honor his legacy by joining the army to realize his dream herself.