Actor Anupam Kher says he does not carry the burden of being a star on his shoulders as doing so would make him lonely.
Kher, 71, returned to theatre after a gap of few years with the play Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane that blends humour and music to explore the themes of loneliness and relationships.
The 45-day tour of the US and Canada has seen Kher, who has acted in over 540 movies, and his troupe travel to different cities for performances and earn appreciation from the audiences.
"I do not carry the burden of Anupam Kher on my shoulders," Kher told PTI, taking a break from a script reading session with director Gajendra Ahire.
"Anupam Kher as a star will start looking very lonely if he does not sit in this lobby where there is bread and butter shop, a sushi bar or travelling by buses," he said, sharing his experience of touring North America.
"If you live in an ivory tower, loneliness is frightening. I don't. I live a very normal life," Kher said.
The play is Kher's first experiment with staging a musical which was well-received by audiences in the US.
"People outside India are emotionally attached to India and when they see a story, especially being done by a popular actor on stage, they feel closer to the person and closer to the subject," the veteran actor said.
The actor said he has been doing plays that audiences can relate to emotionally.
Over his four-decade acting career, Kher has remained active in theatre, performing in plays such as Saalgirah alongside his wife Kirron, Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai and Mera Woh Matlab Nahi Tha with Neena Gupta.
"I have done Shakespeare, I have done Bertolt Brecht, I have done stylised plays. But when I am doing plays after leaving the movies, I like to do plays which are easily identifiable by the audience," Kher said.
"A father in the audience can watch and sort of say, 'Oh, this is my story'. So, luckily the response has been the same," Kher said.
Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane explores human relationships and loneliness in a modern middle-class neighbourhood, bringing together the lives of a widow, a widower, a young paying guest and a woman coping with mid-life separation.
The play delves into experiences of three generations -- elders staying away from their children, the middle-aged and the youngsters.
"The revolution in mobile phones, and internet and everything, has led to a loneliness epidemic. Many countries have announced it as an epidemic, and it's happening in India also," Kher said.
"We have reached a stage where smiles and hugs are replaced by emojis. We have lost, I am not saying it cynically, because we live in a world which is changing, and we have lived, but it has taken away a certain amount of human touch," he added.
Written and directed by Gajendra Ahire, Jaane Pehchaane Anjaane also marks Swaroop Sampat's return to theatre after nearly two decades.
The play was presented in the US by Houston-based Star Promotion Inc, which is run by Indian-American Rajendra Singh.
