Anupam Kher says Anil Kapoor got him replaced by Amrish Puri in Mr India

Anupam Kher and his stepson, actor Sikandar Kher, share a fun and loving bond, which was evident in a video shared by Sikandar on social media. In the clip, Sikandar pretended to hit Anupam on the cheek, which was numb following a dental procedure. During the playful exchange, Anupam also spoke about his best friend, actor Anil Kapoor, and how he was replaced in the hit film Mr India.

Sikandar Kher hits Anupam 

On Wednesday, Sikandar Kher shared a clip where he was seen having a conversation with his father, Anupam Kher. As Sikandar teased him, the senior actor asked, “Kya karne wala hai?” (What are you about to do?). Just before Sikandar pretended to hit him, Anupam warned, “Zyada zor se laga na, ulte haath ka maarunga, naak pe teri, naak tod dunga” (If you hit me too hard, I’ll slap your nose and break it). Sikandar then pretended to hit his cheek, and Anupam played along, holding his face.

Sikandar added, “Kya karoge aap?” (What will you do?). When Sikandar pretended to slap him again, Anupam recited one of his famous dialogues from Karma, where he had shared screen space with Dilip Kumar.

The banter continued as Sikandar attempted to hit him again, but Anupam turned away and said, “Nahi, nahi, nahi beta” (No, no, no, son). When Sikandar refused to back off, Anupam held his hand and said, “Aisa nahi karte. Mat kar” (You shouldn’t do this. Don’t do it). Sikandar then gently placed his hand on Anupam’s cheek and said he would post the video on Instagram. To this, the senior actor responded, “You’re not going to post this. It’s a personal thing between us.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Anupam Kher on getting thrown out of Mr India

The duo later shifted the conversation to films. Kher recalled how Javed Akhtar’s filmmaker daughter, Zoya Akhtar, had roped him in for a cameo in her film, only for the scene to be later deleted. The actor also revealed that he was recast in the 1987 film Mr India and was not informed about it until much later.

Anupam Kher was initially roped in to play the role of the iconic villain Mogambo in Mr India, but midway through the project, he was replaced by Amrish Puri.

“Javed saab threw me out of Mr India. Not Javed saab—it was Anil Kapoor, who is my best friend, and Boney Kapoor too. They didn’t tell me until the end,” Kher said. However, he admitted that he could not have played the role “as brilliantly as Amrish Puri.”

Sharing the video, Sikandar wrote in the caption, “For Javed Akhtar (uncle), Boney Kapoor, Amrish Puri (legend), Anil Kapoor, Shekhar Kapur (uncle)… enjoy #KherSaab after his tooth removal.”