Anupam to skip Golden Globe Awards for Special 26

Anupam to skip Golden Globe Awards for Special 26

Anupam Kher gave up the chance to be present at the 70th Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles on January 13 for the sake of promoting his new Hindi release Special 26. It certainly wasn't an easy decision to make for Kher as David O Russell, the director of the multi-nominated film Silver Linings Playbook, kept insisting that Anupam join the team in L.A for the awards.

Says Anupam, "I've always said Hindi cinema is my first priority. Special 26 needed me. So I am skipping the Golden Globe Awards. But I'll be in L.A for the Screen Actors' Guild Awards on January 27 and the Oscars on February 24"

Explains Anupam, "Special 26 is a very special film directed by a very special director Neeraj Pandey. Neeraj gave me a chance to be in his first film A Wednesday. I couldn't let him down in his second film. I had to skip the Golden Globe Awards. But I will attend the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) Awards where I am personally nominated. I will come back from the SAG awards and return after a month to LA for the Oscars."

David O Russell and Anupam have been exchanging prayers for Silver Linings Playbook to win at the awards.

Reveals Anupam, "David called asking me to send up a prayer for Silver Linings Playbook. I recited Om Sri Ganeshaaye Namah on the phone. Then David O Russell recited an English-language prayer back to me. I am sure all these prayers won't go unansweared. The Silver Linings Playbook team will go home with some major Golden Globes and Oscars."

It was Anupam who insisted on shifting the India release date of Silver Linings Playbook from January 2013 to 7 February 2013.

Explains the ebullient actor, "They planned to release it earlier. I asked them to hang on until the SAG, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations are announced. When we announce the nominations in the ads for the Indian release, there would automatically be more people to watch it. At the moment I'm the happiest actor in the world. All my dreams have come true. What more do I want?"

Silver Linings Playbook has been nominated for Oscars in 8 categories including best picture, best director, best actor and best actress.

Anupam, who's getting ready for the big Oscars night in L.A, could barely contain his excitement. "Every time I've crossed to a new level of film acting the film has been a breakthrough project. My first Hindi film as a leading man was Mahesh Bhatt's Saaraansh which immediately established me as someone who knows the craft. My first British film was Gurinder Chadha's Bend It Like Beckham which was a huge international success. And now my first American film Silver Linings Playbook is a roaring success. The film has proved a golden opportunity for me."