Anupam Kher: “I Refuse to Accept Any Lifetime Achievement Award for the Next Two Decades”

At the 56th International Film Festival of India, Anupam Kher delivered one of the most engaging sessions of the year with his talk titled “Giving Up Is Not a Choice.” He shared a series of personal stories from his four-decade-long journey in cinema, including tales of challenges, persistence, brave standoffs, and memorable successes.

Throughout the session, Anupam Kher kept the audience entertained with his witty and candid approach, even responding to a viewer’s call during the session and asking participants what they would name their biopic. His humor and honesty made the entire event lively and interactive.

Anupam Kher also expressed his admiration for Mahesh Bhatt and shared a heartwarming photo online.

He opened the session with an unexpected revelation about his debut film, Saaransh.
He had been preparing for months, only to be told by Mahesh Bhatt that the role had gone to Sanjeev Kumar. Filled with anger and disappointment, he confronted the director, shouting, “You are the biggest scam of the world… I am a Brahmin, I will curse you!” Before he could leave Mumbai, Bhatt called him back, and the rest is film history.

When Anupam Kher signed his 550th film in December, he made a bold statement: “I have told all the media never to refer to me as a veteran or an actor.
Why should anyone else decide when I should retire? That’s why I have decided that I will not accept any lifetime achievement award for the next 20 years.” The audience responded with loud applause as he delivered his words with clear determination.

Anupam Kher also shared an incident from the sets of Silver Linings Playbook, but only the resulting content is provided, and nothing else is added.