Exhibition on Anupam Kher a star-studded affair

Mumbai, Sep 8 (IANS) An exhibition of paintings depicting the highs and lows of actor Anupam Kher saw the who's who of Bollywood turning up. The actor's new company was also launched on the occasion.

While Anupam, wife Kirron Kher, younger brother Raju Kher and son Sikander Kher were in attendance throughout Tuesday, a string of celebrities came to see the 17 paintings by artist Geeta Dass and be part of the launch of the Anupam Kher Company, the parent company of all the business lines of the actor.

'It's a big day for me,' said Anupam, 55, who has starred in serious films like 'Saransh' and 'Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Mara'. 'Geeta Dass did not paint me as a hero. She portrayed my failures in the exhibition. That's what I liked.'

Amitabh Bachchan launched the brochure of the company along with Anupam.

'I'm very happy to see these paintings. Also I'm very happy that Anupam has collected all his ventures in this brochure, we should learn a lot from him,' Amitabh told IANS.

'He has always lived his life truly and honestly and I admire that about him. He never hid anything.'

From Amitabh to Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Vipul Shah and his wife Shefali Shah, Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Sajid Khan, Sanjay Gadhvi, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Pritish Nandy and Satish Kaushik many were present at the event.

Juhi, who has worked with Anupam in films like 'Darr' among others, walked down memory lane.

'When I really worked with him, I was a new actor and he was doing a lot of films, he was very commercial, he was in every film. I just knew him briefly on the sets,' Juhi told IANS.

'It's only much later, in the last few years, when I watched his play, I got to know the hardships he has gone through, the struggle he has seen.'

'I also remember that there was a time when I was going through a low phase and how he was consoling me one day and pacifying me, and giving me a positive outlook to things, that actually helped me come out of it,' she added.

Artist Dass was also elated. 'Whenever I met Anupam, I observed that along with being a fine actor, he has a very pure soul as well. His smile was like a child, his purity touched my heart, so I thought I must paint him,' said Dass.

Dass took just one month to paint 17 paintings of Anupam.