Mumbai, Nov 25 (NationPress) - Renowned Bollywood actor Anupam Kher emphasized that giving up is not an option during his masterclass at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). He reflected on his breakthrough performance in 'Saaransh' and expressed his joy in now considering Hollywood legend Robert De Niro one of his closest friends.

Kher, at the age of 28, portrayed a 65-year-old character in Mahesh Bhatt's 'Saaransh' back in 1984. His journey eventually led him to Hollywood, starring in films like 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012) and the series 'New Amsterdam', and he has acted in almost all Indian languages, as reported by variety.com.

A long-time fan of De Niro, Kher even wrote essays on 'Mean Streets' and 'Taxi Driver' during his school days. Years later, while pursuing an international career, he got cast in David O. Russell's 'Silver Linings Playbook', a project attached to De Niro.

However, during filming, De Niro was hesitant about Kher's character appearing in a pivotal scene, based on his interpretation of the script. Kher bravely shared his insights about the scene, risking his role and the opportunity to work alongside De Niro. That evening, as Kher offered him a drink, De Niro praised his performance, reports variety.com.

“Because I was honest and not concerned about being disliked by the crew,” Anupam stated, “today I can proudly say that Mr. Robert De Niro is one of my best friends.”

Throughout the session, Anupam recounted several instances from his life where surrendering was simply not an alternative.

“What unfolds in your life becomes your life’s narrative. Why should life be uncomplicated? Why should it be easy? Why should there be no challenges? Because it’s those challenges that will transform your biography into a blockbuster,” he reflected on his journey from a small town to sharing screens with legends globally.

“Failure is merely a moment,” he continued, “not an identity, and the film of your life is destined for a blockbuster conclusion.”