Veteran actor Anupam Kher marked a personal milestone this week, sharing an emotional note on Instagram to commemorate 50 years since he first stepped into Mumbai (then Bombay) on December 15, 1975. The post—titled “MY GOLDEN JUBILEE IN MUMBAI”—was prompted by a message from his friend and National School of Drama classmate Suhas Khandke, who reminded him of that first arrival as a young drama student.
“MY GOLDEN JUBILEE IN MUMBAI”: The message that brought it all back
In his note, Kher recalled being in the first year of drama school, staying with Khandke for 10 days, and being struck by the city’s energy and scale. Khandke’s message referenced their winter vacation travel—boarding the train on December 14, 1975, and arriving the next day—calling it an “auspicious day” and congratulating Kher on his “Golden Jubilee” in the city of dreams.
A vivid 1975 memory: Walkeshwar Road and seeing the sea for the first time
Kher’s post included small but telling details: he wrote that Khandke lived on Walkeshwar Road and that he saw the vastness of the ocean for the first time during that stay—an image that still anchors his relationship with Mumbai. He also described the city’s people as uniquely relaxed, summing them up with one word: “CHILLED.”
“Mumbai has given me EVERYTHING”: Gratitude, growth, and the long haul
The core of the tribute was gratitude. Kher wrote that Mumbai gave him dreams—and then helped him make them real. In the same message, he reflected on a career defined by both success and setbacks, noting “41 years in cinema” and “almost 550 films,” and thanking the city for the lessons that came with failure as well as fame.
He also paid tribute to the “ordinary person on the streets of Mumbai,” calling everyday citizens “extraordinary” and “the heartbeats” of the city—language that aligns with the tone of his post: celebratory, reflective, and grounded in lived experience rather than a conventional industry milestone.
A throwback to theatre—and a remembrance for Satish Kaushik
Along with the note, Kher shared photographs that included a throwback from his early days and referenced a play titled “Ek Aur Dronacharya,” which he said was directed by his late friend Satish Kaushik—a personal touch that broadened the post from a “Mumbai anniversary” into a tribute to friendships that shaped his creative journey.
Work front: Continuing to tell stories
The post arrives at a time when Kher remains active professionally, including work connected to his directorial project “Tanvi The Great” (as cited in recent coverage).
Why the post resonated
Kher’s “Golden Jubilee” note lands because it frames Mumbai as more than an industry hub—it is presented as a place that tests people, changes them, and, sometimes, rewards endurance. By anchoring the story in specific memories—train travel in 1975, a friend’s message, a room on Walkeshwar Road, the first sight of the sea—he turned a round-number anniversary into a human narrative about arrival, ambition, and the city that became synonymous with his dream.
By Manoj H