Having entered the month of June, it should come as no surprise
that all father figures worldwide are being appreciated for the roles
they play in our lives. After all, the second Sunday of the month has
been declared Father's Day in most parts of the world. The Bollywood
fraternity also recognises the important role a father plays, as proven
by the vast amount of films that have been made which herald a father's
traits in various lights. As Father's Day approaches, BollyCurry turns
its spotlight on a man who has consistently and continuously done
justice to the many facets of the father -
Anupam Kher.
Born
7th March 1955, Kher has acted in over 450 films in approximately six
different languages. Although all of his roles have been individually
recognised, many of which he has received awards for, it is his role as a
father that puts him at the forefront of his league. The
often-underrated actor has emoted the many shades of a father perfectly,
making him very popular for these particular roles.
Kher's first role as a father was in the 1984 melodrama
Saransh,
where he played the grieving father of a deceased young man and later a
supportive father figure to a budding actress. This marked the
beginning of a remarkable lifetime career as he went on to his next
project as a father,
Tezaab (1988), a film that required Kher to
play a drunkard and abusive dad who forces his daughter into lewd
dancing. Being a thorough professional, and despite the role being the
complete opposite from the previous character, he once again did the
portrayal complete justice.
As the years went on, it became the norm to see Kher acting as the father. However, it was not until 1989's Daddy, where
he played Anand, a confused and helpless drunkard who loved his
daughter immensely, that he earned a National Award in recognition.
It
is almost unanimously agreed that the 90s worked as the best era for
Kher; his versatility as an actor shone brightly with his roles in
various award winning films. From the happy-go-lucky father of Shah Rukh
Khan's Raj in
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) to
the doting father of Tina (Rani Mukherjee) in
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kher's spot on acting has been loudly applauded. However,
one of his character's that brought tears to the eyes is that of Gulshan Bakshi in the 1999 film
Kya
Kehna!. Based on the sensitive topic of illegitimate pregnancy, Kher
played the father of Priya Bakshi (
Preity Zinta), an
unmarried pregnant girl. Immensely hurt by the apple of his eye, Bakshi
spurns his daughter initially and subsequently experiences a myriad of
emotions
before he accepted her with open arms again and supports her to the best
of his
abilities. What a nuanced and powerful character and reminiscent of a
truly heartbroken father.
Kher's roles as a father has also spilled over to Western cinema such as
Bend It Like Beckham (2002),
Bride And Prejudice (2004) and
The Mistress Of Spices (2005). This proves him as a truly remarkable asset to not just the Indian film industry, but also in Hollywood.
BollyCurry
salutes Anupam Kher and thanks him for his amazing work thus far. We
wish him all the best for Father's Day and his future; we hope that he
continues to bring to light these wonderful emotions of a father.
Author: Mohini N.
Editors: Aradhna K. and Jenifer Y.
Graphics: Saraa K.
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