Anupam Kher plans to don director's hat

Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who has spent over three decades in the Hindi film industry, has plans to take up direction sooner or later.

"I would like to get into direction, but right now I am not mentally prepared to give one year of my life to a film. I am 100 percent thinking about it, but I have no idea when I will do it," the 57-year-old told IANS.

He is happy and content with his career as of now.

"There are some scripts from my end and there are some more scripts which are given to me, but as an actor I have some exciting films and I would like to work on them. So I am in a different phase of life as an actor. But unless I don't have anything concrete for direction, I don't want to talk about it," he said.

Throughout his career, he has chosen quality films like "Saaransh", "Karma", "Hum", "Daddy", "Lamhe" and "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara" and "Khosla Ka Ghosla". He was also recently a part of Hollywood film "Silver Linings Playbook".

The actor says he likes to challenge himself.

"I am my own competition and I like to challenge myself and also there is an inner need to be different from the rest of the world," he said.

He pointed out how he penned a life-lessons book like "The Best Thing About You Is You", while others usually write an autobiography.

Anupam is currently gearing up for his next film "Special Chabbis". Directed by Neeraj Pandey, the film also features Akshay Kumar and Manoj Bajpayee. It will release Feb 8.