Anupam Kher on Robert De Niro, ‘Saaransh’ and Survival in Candid International Film Festival of India Masterclass

Indian actor Anupam Kher brought a mix of humor, grit and unvarnished honesty to his International Film Festival of India (IFFI) masterclass, “Giving Up Is Not a Choice,” holding a packed Kala Mandir audience with stories spanning his small-town beginnings, his breakout turn in “Saaransh,” more than 540 screen credits and a career-defining encounter with Robert De Niro. The session was motivational address, entertainment and a window into his unique life as a performer.

Kher was just 28 when he played a 65-year-old man in Mahesh Bhatt’s “Saaransh” in 1984. He later crossed over to Hollywood with films such as “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) and the series “New Amsterdam,” and has performed in “almost all Indian languages.”

A long-time admirer of Robert De Niro, Kher wrote papers on “Mean Streets” and “Taxi Driver” during his student years. Decades later, as he explored an international career, the actor was cast in David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” – a project that already had De Niro attached. The opportunity to work with his idol seemed within reach, but to his surprise, De Niro initially resisted the presence of Kher’s character in a crucial scene, based on the former’s own reading of the script. Kher recounted how he eventually spoke up, offering his perspective on the scene, at the risk of losing both the role and the chance to act alongside De Niro.

Later that night, while offering him a drink in his van, De Niro commended Kher for his performance. “Because I was truthful and not worried about being unpopular with the unit,” Kher said, “today I can claim that Mr. Robert De Niro is one of my best friends.”

During the session, 70-year-old Kher shared multiple moments from his life, when giving up simply wasn’t an option. He urged the audience to believe in themselves and become the central character of their own biopic. “What happens in your life goes on to become the story of your life. Why should life be easy? Why should life be simple? Why should life not have problems? Because it’s your problems that will make your biopic a superstar biopic,” he said, reflecting on his journey from a small town to acting beside legends around the world. “Failure is an event,” he added, “not a person, and the film of your life deserves a blockbuster ending.”