Anupam Kher

The big hoo-ha over Anupam Kher being named after his buddy Anil Kapoor in the new season of the successful Canadian series Bellvue has ended in an anti-climax. Anupam has decided to change his character’s name. “There are a lot of Indians across the world who watch Bellvue. Calling me ‘Dr Anil Kapoor’ in the series would have seemed gimmicky to them. So I’ve decided to ask the producers to change my name.”

Earlier this week there was a hue and cry over Anupam Kher being named after his friend and even Anil Kapoor tweeted he would like royalty for his name being used. “It was all getting a little too messy. Of course Anil asking for royalty was a joke, But so much was made out of it. In our country we like to focus on irrelevances,” says Anupam who leaves for New York in March to shoot the pilot of Bellvue.

He will be flying in and out from Mumbai to New York to shoot Bellvue in the second-half of the year. “I love to challenge myself as an actor. And I am lucky enough to get those challenges in America. When I do work there I am treated as a newcomer. So I work with the enthusiasm of someone who is just starting out (in the West).” Anupam looks forward to being part of this globally successful series. “I play an Indian doctor. It’s a very interesting role.”

Why aren’t we doing equally interesting work on Indian television? “Give it time. We as a nation are only 70 years old. Entertainment has been the least of our concerns in these 70 years. We had much larger issues to address.”

Anupam Kher name changed in the new Canadian series