‘I’m an eternal optimist’ Actor Anupam Kher talks about his inspirational book which was released earlier this year as it goes into its ninth reprint

‘I’m an eternal optimist’

Actor Anupam Kher talks about his inspirational book which was released earlier this year as it goes into its ninth reprint

Anupam Kher seems like an unlikely author for a self-help book. But the actor, who released The Best Thing About You is You in January this year, that is now in its ninth reprint, has received a tremendous response. Anupam says, “This book was never planned. Life makes you go through so many things and makes you the person you become. I did a play about nine years back, based on my autobiography, where I made fun of my initial setbacks and failures. It was my way of looking at things optimistically. And soon my experiences in life became my reference point for this book.” While most people expected him to pen his experiences in the film industry, he wanted to reach out to audiences as a person rather than an actor. “People relate to this book since it has an easy, friendly format and does not sermonise. Further, it has a lived quality, I haven’t borrowed stories from others,” he adds. The book encompasses topics such as anger management, insecurities, dealing with stress and coping with failures in life. The title is a dedication to Anupam’s grandfather, and he has drawn upon his own experiences where there’s a constant need and greed to be “happening” and when you’re not, a sense of insecurity sets in. Anupam says he learned the hard way that you cannot seek other people’s approval, and that happiness comes from within. And is the actor planning a sequel? “I do have some ideas for another book but I’d rather not plan it. My father passed away about six months ago and the period when he was ill, sent me into flashback mode. I realised that whatever I am today is because of him,” says Anupam who would like to title his next, Lessons My Father Taught Me Unknowingly. He adds that though it’s too early for him to translate his acting experiences to words, he is not completely writing off the idea yet.