Anupam Kher was in town along with actor Shubhangi Dutt, the heroine of Tanvi the Great, which released in July, for a special screening of the film at Inox South City Mall, organised by Young Indians Kolkata. The film that chronicles a young autistic girl who proves that she is “different but no less”, reconnected with the audience who comprised specially abled children and their parents and teachers from different city schools and centres. Tanvi won hearts once more with her optimism, courage and charm. A tete-a-tete with Kher, who has directed and produced the film, and Dutt.
You have returned to the directorial seat after a long gap and picked up a sensitive topic and melded it with patriotism. Tell us about it.
Anupam Kher: I am an eternal optimist, and in the world that we are living in, that’s the one thing which is missing. We are either becoming cynical, or negative, or competitive, or not happy because we think somebody else is doing better than us. So, because Tanvi is my personal experience, my niece, the film is very close to my heart. Whenever I would spend time with her, I always felt that she is an amazing, optimistic person. She has no filter in terms of her emotional gaze.
Autism is represented in the film as a superpower and not as an impediment. She has her own journey in the film, and she does what is deemed impossible. She is also an eternal optimist and is not bound by the rules of society. She says that if I can achieve what I want to achieve, then why should I be stopped? And that’s what she does. So I think we have managed to achieve that. That’s why, from the President to the Army chief, to people at Cannes, to our family, and people who saw the film, really believed it. And just because the film officially or commercially does not do well, does not take away the greatness of the film. There are millions of films which can give you greatness. It also raises awareness about autism and brings out the goodness in you. People cry in the film, not because there’s a tragedy, but because they see so much of goodness in Tanvi that their hearts break. If I’m sincere about what I’m doing, then I do not care about people judging me. We had autistic organisations on board, we had the Army on board. So we took care of everything to make it real and relatable. No one can stop me from making films on any subject.
Anupam Kher and Shubhangi Dutt attend the Special Screening of Tanvi The Great at Inox,South City Mall ,Kolkata on 29.08.2025.The Telegraph picture by Bhubaneswarananda Halder
What do you have to say about Shubhangi?
AK: For Shubhangi, it’s like her first Test match, or in the first T20, or in the first 50 matches, and she can score a century. She has done an amazing job, and not many experienced actresses can do what she has done. She has been my student, and I have seen her grow. I’m very happy and very proud of my student. It’s like, when I did Saaransh, people did not believe that I was 28. But Saaransh was not a great success in the first few months. The riots in Mumbai had started. But today, after 40 years and 545 films, I’m known by Saaransh. So I think after 200 films, she will be known by Tanvi the Great.
Shubhangi, tell us about playing Tanvi and the kind of preparation you did, and how was it working with your teacher turned director?
Shubhangi Dutt: I think that was one easy and comforting factor, because I knew that sir is also an actor, and he understands actors. He’s very empathetic as a person, which I found out after working with him. As a director, he has a vision, but he also thinks from the actor’s point of view. He knows that there’s a newcomer, he knows how to mould the actor, and I think I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time, with the right director.
He is a very tough teacher; he’s a tough director as well, but I think he’s also there as a friend, as a guardian when you need him. In fact, I was very pressured throughout the film. I was like, how am I going to do this? I used to get scared sometimes. He had so many ways to motivate. He would tell me just be confident and you’ll work it out.
Talking about the part of Tanvi, I’m so grateful that I could spend time with the real Tanvi. I went to her school in Assam, spent 15 days with her, and I studied her. In fact, I was getting very technical, but sir told me to observe her soul. He pointed out that this is not a caricature, we are not going to mimic anybody, and that really helped in changing my perspective.
You had so much confidence in her?
AK: It’s not the question of confidence, it’s the question of sincerity. The exact point when I thought that I would choose her, had nothing to do with acting. I was doing a workshop, where everything started from zero, or from a blank page. So in that particular workshop, her expressions were fantastic. Also, it’s not the question of only having qualities; you have to work hard. This is not just the performance of the year; this is the performance of the decade. And I’m saying it not because I am the director, but because as a teacher.
Bollywood is making films on such sensitive topics, and we need them to create awareness. How has the response been?
AK: There have been many sincere responses. People want to hug you; they are happy. So many parents came with their special kids. So, I think sometimes, the volume is not important; the impact is. I’m very happy that we made this film with great sincerity; it’s an experience that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.
What’s next for both of you?
AK: As a director, I have a script in my hand, which I want to do, because I’m addicted to directing. I think it’s such a wholesome thing to do. As an actor, my film Bengal Files is coming in which I’m playing Mahatma Gandhi. And then, I will be working on a film with Sooraj Barjatya. And there are some films that we want to produce.SD: I am still in talks, and very soon you will hear something positive. I love acting, I love being in front of the camera, so I would love to experiment and do all sorts of genres.
