Anupam Kher

“I have played 50 different kinds of fathers and villains. Only mediocre actors play the part the same way.”

“One time I nearly experienced failure was when I was acting in 'Hum Aapke Hain Kaun' in 1994. One day, I woke up and found that part of my face was paralysed.”

“Harper Collins gave me a letter of intent saying that they want me to pen down my autobiography. When I was recollecting the incidents of my life for that, I selected only those incidents which were turning points in my life. I staged it instead of writing it.”

“Practice makes an actor excel. It is like cycling and motor driving. It is an art, which can be learnt and practised.”

“My first Hindi film as a leading man was Mahesh Bhatt's 'Saaransh,' which immediately established me as someone who knows the craft.”

“I have always believed that directing a film is like telling a story. You have to tell it well so that it is appreciated.”

“I've done 480-odd films, have my own acting school, won awards, etc. and now host a successful TV chat show - what else can I ask for? Yes, of course, every journey has its ups and downs, but that's part of life.”

“I'm looking to do an honest job, and I don't have any Indian talk show as a reference point. I'm not looking down on them, but I want to do what Oprah did.”

“I was able to overcome my failures because I was always confident of my abilities and was sure I could achieve what I had set out for.”

“I discovered that the world frightens you with your shortcomings, but if you do not worry about it, you are liberated.”

“I still feel I belong to the theatre. There is nothing more challenging and exciting for an actor than performing before a live audience. The stage is the real testing ground for an actor.”

“In day-to-day life, our brain sends lots of signals. In acting, there are no signals. You have to believe in what you are trying to portray.”

“Success is boring... failure is exciting and more entertaining.”

“After working with Woody Allen, sharing screen space with De Niro was a dream come true.”

“I was born in a poor family, a lower middle class family. My father was a clerk in the forest department. I was very bad at studies. I was not very good at sports, also.”

“It's your own fear of failure that stops you from doing things.”

“It is important to be financially savvy when you turn producer. As a director, you just need to have a good script in hand.”

“Every time I've crossed to a new level of film acting, the film has been a breakthrough project.”