This
week
Marathi
director
Pramod
Gajanan
Joshi
who's
making
the
Hindi-Marathi
bi-lingual
Chhodo
Kal
Ki
Baatein
(Kashala
Udyachi
Baat
in
Marathi)
didn't
know
what
hit
him
when
just
15
minutes
before
the
first
day
of
shooting
Anupam
Kher
announced
to
the
director
that
he
wanted
his
character
to
be
blind!
The
story
goes
that
Joshi,
new
to
the
star
system
in
Bollywood,
thought
Anupam
was
upset
and
was
expressing
his
grievance
in
this
way.
But
apparently
Anupam
not
only
insisted
on
his
character
going
blind
just
minutes
before
the
first
shot,
he
refused
to
shoot
until
the
change
was
made.
Says
a
source
from
the
small-budgeted
unit,
"Anupamji
announced
just
before
the
first
shot
that
he
felt
his
character
would
be
better
off
as
a
blind
person.
Our
director
thought
Anupam
was
joking.
When
Joshi
Saab
realized
Anupamji
was
serious,
he
pleaded
about
the
lack
of
time.
'How
can
the
character
that
can
see
be
turned
blind
just
like
that?
So
many
adjustments
have
to
be
made
in
the
script.'
But
Anupam
was
adamant.
Joshiji
had
no
choice
but
to
shoot
the
normally-sighted
character
as
blind."
Sachin
Khedekar
who
plays
Anupam's
partner
in
Chhodo
Kal
Ki
Baatein
also
pleaded
that
it
was
a
little
late
in
the
day
for
such
a
radical
change.
But
Anupam
stood
his
ground.
Anupam
doesn't
deny
the
last-minute
change
in
the
script.
"I
did
ask
for
my
character
to
be
turned
blind.
The
idea
came
to
me
as
I
was
going
up
in
the
lift
to
the
location
of
the
shooting.
My
character
is
supposed
to
be
a
social
commentator.
How
much
more
effective
his
comments
on
the
world
around
us
would
be
if
he
was
blind.
I
was
actually
inspired
by
a
line
from
Swami
Vivekanand
who
said,
'If
there's
anything
worse
than
a
man
who
cannot
see,
it's
a
man
without
vision.'
My
character's
comments
on
the
world
all
around
him
is
so
much
sharper
because
he
can't
see."
This
is
the
second
time
in
his
long
career
that
Anupam
plays
blind.
Once
before
he
had
been
blind
in
Hum
Hain
Kamaal
Ke.
But
that
was
a
part
of
the
script.
This
time
by
introducing
his
character's
blindness
into
the
script
at
the
last
minute
threw
the
unit
into
a
panic.
Laugh
Anupam,
"It
was
rather
irregular,
I
admit
that.
I
don't
think
a
character
has
ever
been
turned
blind
for
the
camera
minutes
before
the
shooting.
But
it
was
for
the
betterment
of
the
project.
I'm
so
happy
that
I've
Sachin
Khedekar
as
a
co-star.
He
understands
the
idiosyncrasies
of
a
performance.
Sachin
has
started
his
career
with
my
television
company
in
a
serial
called
Imtihaan
which
was
directed
by
Imtiaz
Ali
who's
today
making
Love
Aaj
Kal
and
Rockstar.
So
grant
me
the
vision
to
see
the
future
even
when
I'm
playing
blind."
Story first published: Tuesday, December 28, 2010, 14:42 [IST]