Anupam Kher announces his next directorial venture; I Went Shopping For Robert De Niro, a 29 minute short film, in honour of his Oscar Nominated Silver Linings Playbook co star. He has also produced the film under his banner Actor Prepares Mumbai, named after his acting school.
“I have been wanting to direct a film for the past one year. When I came back from the USA after completing Silver Lining’s Playbook, Yamini, the writer of the short film, narrated the concept to me and I thought it is a wonderful story and I wanted to tell it. I decided to direct and produce it.” says Kher who is currently riding high on the success of Special 26.
Everyone from the cast and crew is a huge fan of Robert De Niro and has worked with gritty passion to pay their respects to the star. I went Shopping for Robert De Niro is a story of two girls at the crossroads of their lives and what happens to them on that particular day when they go shopping for Robert De Niro. Yamini Kshirsagar and Rimal Arora play the lead roles in the film.
They are also the girls who actually went shopping for the gift for De Niro before Kher travelled to Philadelphia for the shooting of Silver Linings Playbook, making the film part autobiography and part fiction.
Anupam Kher says, “With this film we tell the story of millions of people who come to the city of Mumbai to fulfil their dreams. It reminded me of the days of my life when I shifted to Mumbai to pursue my career as an actor. Similarly Silver Linings Playbook reminded me of the excitement I experienced when I signed my first film ever and I went shopping for Robert De Niro reminded me of my first days in Mumbai.
Nostalgia drove me to be a part of both these stories. In one sense going to celebrate Silver Linings Playbook at the Oscars brings this entire journey as full circle for me as being a part of the project gave birth to the short film”