More than 40 years ago, Anupam Kher he entered Hindi cinema with Saaransh, the film that would go on to define his career. the director Mahesh BhattThe 1984 drama saw Anupam playing BV Pradhan, a 65-year-old grieving father, a role that earned him massive acclaim and established him as one of the best actors in the industry. What made the achievement even more extraordinary was that Anupam was just 27 years old when he was first offered the role.But before Saaransh could transform his life, Anupam almost lost his chance. In a recent interview, the veteran actor revisited a painful chapter in his early career, revealing that he was fired just days before the film began shooting.In an interview to the Jagran Film Festival last year he said, “I was 27 when Mahesh Bhatt sahab narrated the story to me for my first film. When I turned 28, I rehearsed for about 6 months for the film. I was going to play the role of a 65-year-old man. But, I was dropped from the film 10 days before the film because they wanted to cast a big actor Sanjeev Kumar ji. They thought it would be a more commercially viable option.“The setback left him devastated. After devoting six months to rehearsals and preparing hard for the role, Anupam felt defeated enough to leave Mumbai altogether.He continued, “I packed all my things and decided to leave the city. For six months I was told by Mahesh Bhatt that I was playing the lead role, I rehearsed so much. And I got fired 10 days before the shoot! I packed all my things and headed to the VT station. But before I left, I thought I should tell Bhatt what can I do now?”Before boarding his train, Anupam decided to confront Mahesh Bhatt one last time. He arrived at the filmmaker’s building to find the elevator in disarray. Driven by desperation and anger, he climbed the six floors to Bhatt’s apartment. Sharing the details of that emotionally charged moment, she recalled, “I went to her house, but the lift wasn’t working. She lived on the sixth floor. I was angry and had a lot of energy, so I ran up the stairs. Bhatt Sahab said that I am doing another smaller role in the film. I told him that my taxi is waiting outside and I am leaving Mumbai, but before that I want to tell you that you are the biggest “fraud” and “fraud” in the whole world. I said, ‘You’re making a movie about honesty, and you’re not honest.'”The fight was emotional, with Anupam admitting that he broke up while talking to Bhatt. She said: “I was crying inconsolably because I was so angry and stressed. Then I was thinking about what I should say at the end, because anger has to end with a big bang. At that moment I couldn’t think of anything and said, ‘Main aapko shraap deta hu’. He saw this scene and Rajshri productions called me to cast me in that role.“That turning point changed everything. Saaransh finally released in 1984 and became Anupam Kher’s breakthrough film. The critically acclaimed drama even went on to become India’s official entry Oscar Awards In 1985, marking the beginning of a remarkable career in Hindi cinema.
