Mumbai: Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who is known for countless films like ‘Tezaab’, ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, and several others, recently reunited with his friend and ‘Rang De Basanti’ co-actor Mohan Agashe as he met the latter at his office.
Anupam shared a video of their interaction and casual meet on his Twitter. He wrote in the caption: “My friend Dr. #MohanAgashe is a thespian in the real sense of the word. It will be my honour to be the chief guest at the event where he will be bestowed upon with one of the highest awards in arts and entertainment #PunyaBhushan in Pune! His knowledge and humility is infectious and highly inspirational. Looking forward to the ceremony tomorrow! Jai Ho.”
The video starts off with Anupam saying: “So I’m with one of my inspirations and one of my very good friends. We don’t meet very often. Mohan, we should meet often. I came to meet him and I’m going to honour him. Usually, the person who honours the others is supposed to be more knowledgeable but, this is the first time I’m going to honour a person who is more knowledgeable, much more knowledgeable (than me) about life, books and theatre. I’m so happy to meet you, Mohan and I feel honoured by honouring your work.”
Mohan then says in the video: “You know we have something in common. When you started your career, you were young but you essayed the role of an elderly man in ‘Saaransh’. That gave you recognition. Same thing happened to me.”
He was referring to his role in the play ‘Ghashiram Kotwal’.
“I played the role of a 65 year-old man while I was 25 year-old at that time. I have been essaying older characters since a young age, so people feel that I must be 100 years old.”
To this, Anupam says: “No, in fact, it’s opposite. Since you have been playing old characters since a young age people can’t recognise when you get old. Surprisingly, I have been getting roles for the last 10 years. I did a film called ‘Astu – So Be It’ which is about Alzheimer’s disease. If you haven’t seen the film please do, you got to see it.”
Anupam then says: “I did a film on Alzheimer’s disease called ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara’.”
Mohan continues in the video. “Then you should see my series which released recently, ‘Do Gubbare’. It’s an inter-generational series.”
Anupam said: “I saw his play ‘Ghashiram Kotwal’ in the late 1970s in Kamani auditorium. I was in final year of drama school and I was mesmerised with Jabbar sahab’s direction and your energy gave me goosebumps. So it is such an amazing feeling to be with him and this is a very casual conversation we are having but this needs to reach the world. He is such a humble person. Thank you so much for giving so much to the world.”
The two actors played accomplices in state enabled corruption in the 2006 film ‘Rang De Basanti’ where Mohan essayed the role of Defence Minister responsible for the death of R. Madhavan’s character of a fighter pilot.
Anupam, who played Siddharth’s father in the film, was complicit in the crime with Mohan.
Over the years, ‘Rang De Basanti’ which starred Aamir Khan in the lead role, has gained a cult following and was also instrumental in shaking up the conscience of the nation in the Jessica Lal murder case.
(IANS)
