An actor prepares

Veteran actor Anupam Kher retells the story of his life and times in a creative monologue.

Last Sunday Delhiites were regaled by Anupam Kher's long running play, “Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai” (KBHSH) at the Airforce auditorium, Dhaula Kuan. Sterling performances are something the audience has come to expect from the actor who gave us Mr. Pradhan, the 70-year-old who is left to haggle for his son's ashes in “Saaransh”. Having acted in almost 400 feature films, Kher is one of the most versatile and prolific actors Hindi cinema has seen. His repertoire includes some of the biggest blockbusters (“Hum Aapke Hain Koun”, “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai”, “Veer Zaara”, “Bend it like Beckham”') as well as critically acclaimed films (“Daddy”, “Janam”, “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara”, “Khosla ka Ghosla”).

Tribute to talent

Kher's most high profile foray into theatre, “Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai” is directed by Feroze Khan. This WelcomTheatre initiative is essentially a chronicle of his journey thus far, as an artist and a human being. Written by Ashok Patole and Feroze Khan, it has the seasoned artist give voice to his life's story. Khan describes KBHSH by saying, “We have tried to capture the essence of Anupam's life- from Shimla to Bombay, a small town dreamer making it big in the mercurial Hindi film industry. To the best of my knowledge our project is unprecedented. Never before has the life of an actor been depicted on stage while he is still practicing his craft.”

This tribute to the National School of Drama graduate and talent powerhouse is also an interesting tweak on the nature of memory. Fact and its interpretation with the perspective of time create a unique tapestry that is both real and imagined.

The play includes the remembrance of a sweep of experiences, from the fledgling confusions of a teenager and recurring romantic rejection in early youth to being shown the door in Bollywood and his first big break. Kher's struggles as portrayed are an intrepid blend- from the seemingly commonplace to the larger than life. What has clearly resonated with audiences in the over 200 performances thus far is the abiding emotional authenticity that lies at the core.

Displaying the self assurance of a seasoned performer, Kher interacts freely with spectators during the play. In this self-styled rendering there are several moments when the lines between actor and audience are blurred.

Apart from being an astute observer of the film industry that he has been a part of for over three decades, Kher is also a treasure trove of anecdotes. The play blends substantive commentary about the changes afoot in Bollywood with humorous asides. Memorable vignettes include mimicking the demeanour of certain whimsical actors and the farcical direction of rape scenes in quintessential 80s and 90s Hindi films (Kher had enacted one such sequence with Jaya Prada). On the emotive side of the spectrum are his bonding with directors like Mahesh Bhatt and deep admiration for Amitabh Bachchan. Conspicuous by its absence is any meaningful mention of his actor wife, Kiran.

In the melee of achievement, Kher doesn't gloss over his foibles and failures. From rejection at the audition for Nehru's role (in the Oscar winning classic “Gandhi”) to his indifferent showing as host of TV game shows, it's all there. The production also makes an imaginative use of multimedia aided visual grabs to create potent imagery.

Ultimately “Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai” is a testament to our shared humanity and a rare artist's ability to approach his own life with a measure of detachment. Success is kept in perspective, anguish acknowledged and transcended. Here is an effervescent idiom where we can all laugh at ourselves and the crazy world we inhabit. Anupam Kher, take a bow.