Goa, Nov 25 (UNI) Indian actor Anupam Kher delivered a lively blend of humor, resilience, and unfiltered honesty during his masterclass, “Giving Up Is Not a Choice,” at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Addressing a packed audience at Kala Mandir, Kher traced his journey from a small-town upbringing to more than 540 screen credits, revisiting his breakthrough role in Saaransh and a career-shaping encounter with Robert De Niro, according to Variety.
Kher was just 28 when he portrayed a 65-year-old man in Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaransh (1984). His career later expanded globally with projects like Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and the TV series New Amsterdam, and he has worked in “almost all Indian languages.”
A devoted admirer of De Niro since his student days—when he wrote papers on Mean Streets and Taxi Driver—Kher found himself cast in Silver Linings Playbook, a film that already featured his longtime idol. But their first creative interaction proved challenging: De Niro questioned the need for Kher’s character in an important scene, based on his own interpretation of the script.
Kher recounted how he chose to speak up, offering his perspective despite the risk of losing both the role and the chance to work with De Niro.
The tension dissolved later that night when De Niro invited Kher into his van and praised his performance. “Because I was truthful and not afraid of being unpopular,” Kher said, “I can proudly say today that Mr. Robert De Niro is one of my best friends,” as quoted by Variety.
Throughout the session, the 70-year-old actor shared moments when perseverance was his only option. Encouraging the audience to see themselves as the protagonists of their own biopics, he emphasized that struggle is essential to any compelling life story. “Why should life be easy? Why should life be simple?” he asked. “It’s your problems that make your biopic a superstar biopic.”
Closing on a motivational note, Kher reminded listeners that setbacks do not define a person. “Failure is an event, not a person,” he said. “And the film of your life deserves a blockbuster ending.”
