PUNE: Anupam Kher, Chairman, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), shared a life mantra with the audience while delivering an impromptu talk at Adhaya’18, an annual conference organised by Rotary District 3131, at Amanora Township, Hadapsar, on Friday.

He said one should ‘celebrate failure’. Kher got this lesson from his father at an early age of 15. 

Abhay Gadgil, District Governor of Rotary District 3131, Deepa Gadgil, past president of Rotary Club-Pune University and currently the first lady of Rotary District 3131, along with other Rotarians, were present during the event.

Kher said, “Since childhood, I was interested in acting but was not a good actor. I tried to prove my acting skills in many school programmes but always kept failing. The fear of what my family and others would say would haunt my mind. I was lucky to have a joint family, who appreciated my efforts. This love and support helped me chase my dream and got me a gold medal in the National School of Drama and made me what I am today.”

After the 32-year innings in Bollywood and having acted in 511 movies, Kher defines himself as ‘a sum total of his failures and not his success’.

“Failure is multi-dimensional and it holds power to teach you many things that success cannot. So, I deem to celebrate failure before enjoying success. As a child, I always received a bouquet of wildflowers from my father, a gift for trying and making attempts. It is the event that fails but never a person,” said Kher while sharing a story behind his unique life lesson.

While talking about the parent-children relation, Kher highlighted that children must not be pressurised to achieve success. but they must be taught to make sincere efforts and maintain their originality. He said one must reinvent oneself and enjoy every occasion as it comes in order to be happy.