I Am Like Any Other Mother, Anxious About My Son: Kirron Kher (Interview)

Kirron Kher is very excited about her role in Singh is Kinng. Ask her whether it’s also another motherly role like the ones she’s played in films like Main Hoon Na and Rang de Basanti and she rectifies, “It’s high time we stop slotting roles into motherly and fatherly roles. Why are heroines and heroes not asked whose son or daughter they are playing on screen,” she asks, adding, “Basically everyone is playing a character on screen. In Hindi cinema a mother’s or father’s role is stereotypical. It would be better if we call them supporting roles.”

Does she think that she has got her due in this industry? “I started working at a very later stage in life and just went with the flow. I feel I’ve got more than my due. With two national awards, three international awards, what more could I ask for. Devdas was a very rewarding experience. Overall, it has been a wonderful journey with some good roles and some awards too,” says the actress.

In this age of multiplex cinema, it is said that actors get a variety of roles to play, but Kirron still seems to be caught up in the stereotypical “motherly” roles. What is the reason behind it? we ask her. “I know I’m yet to do lead roles. But the way Indian cinema works the only time we can play good roles is in parallel cinema which sadly doesn’t get much exposure because of the limited budget involved. And there are a lot of stereotypical scripts being made in commercial cinema. But right now it’s a good phase and smaller films too are being made with very good scripts,” explains Kirron who will be seen in films like Saas, Bahu Aur Sensex, Dostana, Kambhaqt Ishq along with Rensil D’Silva’s and Vipul Shah’s untitled projects.

We have seen her play a mother on screen, so what kind of a mother is she in real life to son Sikandar Kher, who has already made his debut in Woodstock Villa? “I am like any other mother, anxious about my son, disciplined and at the same time very affectionate and loving. I am also very appreciative and critical. This is very important because if he also has a fan club at home then it’s not good for his growth as an actor,” she says.

What tips did she give to her son when he entered the industry? “Since I and Anupam are actors, acting was imbibed by him from a very early age. But as a mother, I told him to be punctual, committed and to see through a project because that is what counts today. I also told him to be open-minded and to learn from criticism that comes his way rather than be defensive about it. Good and bad days are a part of an actor’s life so he must move ahead with confidence and get motivated and work like a professional,” she tells us.

And what does she think about her son’s acting skills? “Well, he’s a very fine actor. He has started out with smaller films but if he gets a chance to work with good production houses and good directors he will shine,” she says, adding that Sikandar is a better actor than she and Anupam Kher. “He’s a natural in front of the camera, is good with comedy, and even action which we can’t do at our age. He’s got great style and presence. And when he reaches our age he’ll be much more polished than we are,” says the actress who can’t stop going ga-ga over her son.

SOURCE: Timesofindia