Celebrating 40 Years of Saaransh: Mahesh Bhatt and Anupam Kher Reflect on a Cinematic Milestone

In a nostalgic journey down memory lane, veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and renowned actor Anupam Kher recently hosted a special press conference to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the iconic film "Saaransh." Directed by Mahesh Bhatt himself, the movie is a poignant portrayal of an elderly Maharashtrian couple in Mumbai grappling with the tragic loss of their only son.

 

The film revolved around an elderly Maharashtrian couple living in Mumbai who come to terms with the loss of their only son. 

 

Walking down the memory lane and sharing some interesting anecdotes about the movie, Mahesh Bhatt said, “Anupam Kher was 28 years old, when I offered him a role of 65 years old man, and that is where he started his journey. People at the time thought it’s an old man role, and I laughed at their thinking, because I knew what I was going to make. I don’t think, this child (Anupam) also knew what I was aiming to make, but he came to me, he was a gold medalist in acting, and his specialty was dedication.”

 

Praising Anupam Kher for his dedication, as the film was the screen debut young actor, Mahesh Bhatt added, “Dedication is an art or knowledge which one cannot give to another person, it is something whether you have or you don’t, Anupam had it, and making a film like Saransh, and to be able to perform the way he performed, is not possible. I haven’t seen such a performance since 1984.” 

 

“We saw this movie in Moscow with Amitabh Bachchan and the information minister along with 4000 people, in a jam-packed auditorium and the movie got a standing ovation, people were clapping for me, the director. I was surprised when Amitabh Bachchan put his hand on my shoulder and asked me to stand up, as people were clapping for the director, which was not a trend back in those days,” said Bhatt. 

 

Directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starring Anupam Kher, Rohini Hattangadi, Madan Jain, Nilu Phule, Suhas Bhalekar and Soni Razdan.