Anupam Kher On First Meeting With Hollywood Icon Robert De Niro: I Had A Fight | Exclusive

After

filming the 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook, Anupam Kher and Robert De Niro became friends. However, they did not start off on the right foot. While appearing on the newest episode of Times Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar's podcast Baatein Dil Se, the veteran actor and filmmaker shared that he argued with the "god of acting" on David O Russell's movie because he wanted to remain in the scene. Their first meeting was so memorable that it led to the start of a beautiful friendship that is even strong today. De Niro even came for the screening of Anupam's directorial venture Tanvi the Great and saw the whole film. He called it "terrific."

Anupam Kher on meeting Robert De Niro on Hollywood set

Anupam Kher revealed to Navika Kumar that he did an English film to test himself as he had studied in a Hindi medium. He got the call from his agent for Silver Linings Playbook when he was shooting for a Hindi film. Anupam was told that David O Russell is making a film with Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence, and there was a role for an Indian psychiatrist, which he got after lots of technical difficulties recording his audition for the director.He said of meeting De Niro, "My first meeting with him was a fight. I had gone for the shooting of Silver Linings Playbook. In my drama school, in the first year, I have done a research paper on his two first films, Mean Streets and Taxi Driver. I had taken a ruby Ganpati for him [as a gift]."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB85bSy37PU

Before their scene, he asked his assistant that he wanted to meet him. He was told that Bob doesn't meet anyone in the van, he would meet him on the set. It was his first day so he wouldn't meet anyone. "Mein bhi Hindustani, I got behind the guy to meet him. I've got a Ganpati please help me."Anupam was nearly in tears going to De Niro's van, meeting the god of acting. De Niro was uncomfortable and asked if everything was okay. In translating from Hindi to English, the actor fumbled and said, "I'm so moved by my journey." He took a picture with him and later they went to the set. Disagreement on the sets of Silver Linings Playbook The veteran actor recalled that there was an important scene of 13 pages. He had only three dialogues, but he was happy to be in the scene with so many Hollywood actors. Rush Hour's Chris Tucker was also there. However, De Niro was in full character mode during the rehearsal and insisted to Russell that why the hell will he tolerate the Indian doctor in his house? Because of him, his son would have gone back to the asylum even though he was his doctor. He would not let him enter his house.Anupam also agreed that "in his thinking he was right because his character was thinking like that." When the scene started, he was thrown out of the house and the scene. Luckily, Russell argued in his favour and stated, "This character is in my mind for the last two years. I am not convinced in one rehearsal, I'll have to do one more rehearsal." The Saaransh actor recalled his Dadaji's advice, which was, "If you want to be equal with anybody in the world, don't expect anything from the other person." Anupam was an equal on the set of that Hollywood film, but he was having issues with English on the set. He argued his case and said, "You have only heard one side; I have also a side. We are eight characters in this scene. Why are we only listening to one person? My character also has an interpretation. Third thing, I've done this film for this scene, I'm not getting out of this scene. I was saying this innocently; I had the greatest respect for [De Niro]."He also asked Russell how he could throw his character out of the scene after having him for so long. While everyone looked at De Niro, the Oscar winner agreed to one more rehearsal, and Anupam's character, Cliff Patel, remained. Despite the on-set fight, Anupam was invited back to De Niro's trailer at 2:30 am, where he offered him a glass of vodka. Anupam recalled, "That started one of the best friendships of my life. I feel that sometimes when you speak up, the other person realizes."Silver Linings Playbook was up for eight trophies at the 85th Academy Awards. Anupam and De Niro continue to meet up every year.