A dream holiday turned into a suspense thriller for Anupam Kher and he didn’t even need a film script. Kher whose latest directorial, ‘Tanvi The Great’ just released in theatres and is getting rave reviews, is also a great story teller off-screen. Anupam has acted in more than 500 movies in his career and is equally passionate about being behind the camera. No wonder, he has lots of stories to tell and some are quite funny. Recounting a nerve-wracking episode from years ago, the veteran actor shared how a seemingly harmless item in his luggage triggered chaos at the Los Angeles airport. He and his wife, Kirron Kher, were touring the US with their play, shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Kher said in a recent interview with Filmfare, that he had unknowingly packed incense sticks—what he fondly calls dhoop—in his shaving kit. “Maine kisi din… dhoop hota hai na. Dhoop, agarbatti woh shaving ke samaan mein rakh diya hoga,” he recalled, explaining how the spiritual item found itself among his toiletries.
As they were preparing to fly from LA to San Francisco, Kirron cleared the security check, but Anupam’s bag caught attention. Officers pulled it aside and zeroed in on the mysterious item. “So we were coming LA to San Francisco and Kiran had crossed the security check and she was waiting for me. And these security people opened my bag and they found something in my shaving kit. And I had completely forgotten what was there. So he took it out and started smelling it. Then he asked his colleague, ‘Is this what I think it is?’ So he also smelled and said yes.” Things escalated fast. “And then he suddenly said to me, ‘Step aside, step aside and hands up please.’ He asks me, ‘What is this?’ And I say, ‘Don’t know.’ And suddenly wahan se awaaz aati hai ‘Kya hai ye?’” he narrated. The language switch only heightened suspicion. Soon enough, security guards on bikes swooped in, guns drawn. Kirron, always one to react candidly, didn’t hold back her shock. “And she went, ‘Charas lekar ghoom rahe ho?’” Anupam recalled her blunt reaction, laughing at her disbelief. “(You’re roaming around with hashish?)” He joked, “Agar main bach gaya inn logon se toh main bahar nikal ke divorce de dunga.” Fortunately, help came in the form of a Bangladeshi airport employee, who immediately recognised the fragrance. “He explained that we use this in pooja and for god. Par meri toh zubaan hi chali gayi thi kyunki woh wahan se bole ja rahi thi ‘Kya lekar ghoom rahe ho wahan par? Pagal ho gaye kya tum?’” Anupam remembered, still amused and slightly mortified.Recently on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Kher also opened up on not having his biological children with Kirron. He said he’s quite happy with Sikandar. For those not in the know, Kirron was earlier married to Gautam Berry and Sikandar is their biological son. Kher was earlier married to Madhumalti Kapoor.
