Anupam Kher recalls how Amitabh Bachchan gave him a reality check about his privilege: ‘I thought I was a star…’

Actor Anupam Kher recalled how he got a privilege check from Amitabh Bachchan while shooting with him for the 1986 film Aakhri Rasta.  The actor mentioned that during the filming in Chennai, he had felt that he was now an established star and wanted an air conditioner in his make-up room. However, he noticed that Amitabh Bachchan was sitting and reading, covered in a blanket, in the peak of Chennai summer.
Talking to Mashable India, Anupam Kher said, “I thought I was a star, I wanted AC, make-up room and we were shooting in Chennai, and it was already so uncomfortable. I asked who I was shooting with, and was told that it was with Amitabh Bachchan. I saw him sitting on the side, with beard, wig, and wrapped in a blanket. So I went and told him, ‘Sir I am Anupam Kher…’ He answered, ‘I’ve heard, I saw you in Saransh, you’re a good actor.’ So I asked him, ‘Don’t you feel hot in this beard, blanket and wig?’ He replied, ‘Garmi ke baare mein sochta hoon, toh lagti hai. Nahin sochta hoon, toh nahin lagti. (If I think it’s hot, it is hot. If I don’t think about it, it doesn’t feel like it’s hot.)’ After that, I never created a fuss about AC, weather or fans.”

Anupam Kher starred alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Boman Irani for Sooraj Barjatya’s latest slice-of-life film, Uunchai, which talks about four friends, wishing to scale Mount Everest. On working with them, Kher said, “There’s a mutual respect for each other. All of us are at that one stage of life, where we don’t have to prove anything to each other. It was a joy to work with each other.”
Uunchai released on November 11 and is doing good business at the box office. Kher has seen several box office blockbusters this year, including The Kashmir Files and Karthikeya 2.