anupam
kher's
statements
in
London
last
week
that
through
his
acting
school
he
wants
to
change
the
hammy
style
of
Bollywood
acting
has
raised
quite
a
few
hackles
in
Mumbai's
entertainment
industry.
But
Anupam
is
unfazed.
"Isn't
it
true
that
a
lot
of
us
ham
in
Indian
films,
and
not
because
it
comes
naturally
to
us?
Often
we're
asked
to
perform
that
way.
And
the
Indian
audience
to
this
day
reacts
more
favorably
to
broad
performances
as
compared
with
the
more
subtle
ones."
Anupam
made
his
controversial
statements
on
a
visit
to
London
to
open
a
branch
of
his
school
Actor
Prepares
in
the
city.
On
March
7,
anupam
kher
turned
a
year
older.
"I
flew
to
London
to
sign
the
biggest
deal
of
my
life.
I
returned
on
Sunday
feeling
satisfied
with
life." A
jubilant
and
exhilarated
anupam
kher
returned
to
Mumbai
from
London
after
having
finalized
plans
to
open
a
branch
of
his
acting
school
in
London
in
September.
"We
at
'Actor
Prepares'
are
tying
up
with
the
'Ealing
Institute
Of
Media'.
We
signed
the
MOU
in
London
on
March
6.
In
my
opinion,
this
is
the
biggest
Bollywood-British
tie-up.
'The
Times',
London,
carried
a
full-page
interview
last
week.
I
was
on
the
People's
page
in
'The
Guardian'
along
with
Prince
Charles.
In
'The
Herald
Tribune',
my
London
school-
plans
have
been
covered
along
with
singer
Bruce
Sprinsteen.
The
'Washington
Post'
has
also
written
a
lengthy
article
on
'Actor
Prepares'.
Surely
for
a
small-town
boy
from
Simla
you've
to
agree
its
one
big
leap
ahead."
Anupam
is
now
totally
consumed
by
the
idea
of
carrying
his
acting
school
to
foreign
shores.
"I
think
my
school
has
finally
reached
an
international
platform,
and
not
just
because
we're
opening
international
branches.
But
because
of
the
interest
it
has
generated
globally."
The
actor
admits
he
doesn't
have
much
of
a
business
sense.
"But
then
schools
aren't
run
by
business
sense,
they're
run
by
a
passion
for
excellence.
We
aim
at
training
only
the
best
students,
around
25-40
students
per
session.
After
three
years
of
the
school's
life
in
Mumbai
'Actor
Prepares' has
achieved
the
international
standards
we
had
set
for
ourselves.
I
feel
in
the
next
5
years
my
school
will
prepare
actors
from
all
over
the
world,
'Actor
Prepares'
in
London
and
other
global
branches
won't
focus
on
Asians.
We're
hiring
teachers
from
all
over
the
world.
But
I
won't
be
an
absentee
teacher.
I'll
be
there
on
the
spot."
He
stops
to
look
back
fondly
at
his
school.
"I
think
the
best
thing
I
did
in
my
life
was
to
start
'Actor
Prepares'."
Story first published: Tuesday, March 18, 2008, 15:45 [IST]