Anupam Kher said- I used to be the guard of my locality during the Indo-Pak war, had to hide in the pit as soon as the siren rang: Anupam Kher interview

The head office of the Western Command was in Shimla, I have seen our soldiers. Have seen people giving blood for the soldiers. But I don’t know about the IB 71 incident because these are unsung heroes no one knows about. Recently someone sent me a message telling me that the pilot of this mission was a Kashmiri Pandit. It took us 50 years to tell the story of these 30 people. My uncle Pyare Lal Kher ji, the youngest brother of my father, he himself retired from the post of Assistant Director in Intelligence Bureau, but neither I nor my parents and family knew what he used to do. Those 30 people who went to Pakistan in this hijacked plane, which was arranged by the Intelligence Bureau itself, we got goosebumps after seeing them in the film that how they did it without any weapons. 30 out of 30 people had come back to India. What mind he had, no one knows about him. We are proud of our forces, as well as we are proud of the Intelligence Bureau.

You said you were in NCC, you saw army men. So did you think that I should join the army?
I wanted to join the army, but I liked acting more. Yes but I wanted to go. I also donated blood for the soldiers. During the 1971 war, a major came to our college and gave a speech. At that time I used to be very thin like a stick. He said that we want you to give blood for the soldiers of the country, they are fighting for you. A bus had come there, which was going to take the students and teachers to the blood donation camp. When I started boarding that bus, Major said do you think you will be able to give blood? I said yes I want to give blood. When I reached the doctor, he also asked the same question, do you really want to give blood? Even then I said that I want to give blood for the soldiers of the country. They took out only a little of my blood, so I could not get up. Then I was given blood again, only then I was able to get up. Which is to say, I have experienced it all. Today’s generation should also feel and know this.

You mentioned that it took 50 years to bring such a story to the screen. In the past, we have also seen such stories of some unsung heroes on the film screen. So why do you think it took so long to bring these stories to the fore?
Actually, these are classified things. I don’t think people want to talk about it. But now this story is being made, so it is a big deal. I am glad that Vidyut Jammwal has produced this story. Ok now it took time to make, so no problem. It took us 32 years to create the Kashmir files, even though the incident was in front of everyone.

You often post videos with your mother on social media. Tell us something about your bonding with your mother that grows stronger with age?
The blessings of parents are the best gift that a child can get. It is great that at this age I get to spend time with my mother. Parents alone are the wonders of such a world, so they are with you in every situation, be it bad or good. They never expect anything from you. They only think good for you. My mother calls me every morning at 8:30 am. If I am out somewhere, they get worried. I would love if the videos I make with my mother Dulari ji can change the minds of even one percent of the people in the world, and it has happened. I don’t like people who keep their parents sitting in the corner just because they are old. After God, there is the status of parents. As is the case with the temple, similarly their next level should also be there.