Did Anupam Kher win Padma for acting or being political cheerleader?

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Dr Kouser Fathima

No doubt Anupam Kher is one of the most versatile actors of Bollywood with his acting skills being commendable.

For years he has been entertaining audience with his wide range of roles. Be it a cool dad, rich NRI or villainous uncle. his range of roles has always been wide and endearing.

He excels both in emotional and comic roles. His portrayal as a heartbroken father in Saaransh and Daddy are incomparable and his comic timings have been a class of its own. And not to forget his acting prowess as a menacing villain.

So there is no doubt that Anupam Kher deserved the Padma Bhushan award and there’s nothing wrong for his fans and family to be happy.

Surprisingly though, Kher’s own reaction on being conferred this prestigious award was not very pleasant. He went to make some really silly statements on the social media, which could have been best avoided.

Agreed as an indivual he has his own political affiliations and opinions but he forgot that he was honoured for his acting skills which indeed are great but by mixing politics he brought down the dignity of awards.

True, that all governments have their own loyalists and there has always been plenty of lobbying during the awards. But no awardee has ever gone on to make silly tweets like “sale of burnol has increased ” or “award for patriots.”

These statements are below the stature of an awardee of any field. By making such statements Kher has lacked grace and insulted the previous awardees and their contribution in their fields. He has forgotten that awards are only a recognition of a person’s talent but that doesn’t mean any artist or achiever who has not been awarded is anyway less talented.

Many great artists who have never been awarded are still respected for their talent and contributions in their respective fields.

If Kher had any past grievances he could have addressed in a more dignified manner. Years of hard work and contributions were tossed away for political affiliations. Being a senior and respected actor he could have shown restrain rather than try to divide the Bollywood fraternity.

His fans loved him for his acting talents, so they were extremely thrilled when he was honoured but by using this award to make political statement, Kher has disappointed his genuine fans.

He seems to have forgotten that he was honoured for being a great actor not for political cheerleader. His reactions sadly seem to be sending a different message.

Views expressed here are the author’s own

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