Anupam Kher Praises Shah Rukh Khan’s On-the-spot Improvisation Skills

Anupam Kher has been in the news of late as he promotes his latest film as actor-director Tanvi The Great. In a recent interview with IANS, the versatile actor revealed a rare insight on the memorable line O Pochi, O Koka, O Bobi, O Lola from the 1995 hit film, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Anupam Kher shared that this line was improvised by Shah Rukh Khan, whom he praised for his skill in wit and candour.

Speaking about his roles as a relatable father figure in films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein, Anupam mentioned, “The cool dad portrayal is my tribute to my father. My father was exactly like this. All the names you mentioned in that list of characters—they’re all my father. He was my best friend.”

When he was asked how did O Pochi, O Koka, O Bobi, O Lola happen, Anupam instantly replied, “On the spot!” He said, “I told Shah Rukh, ‘Let’s do something that people will remember.’ So, I think that’s how we came up with it. And Shah Rukh is so brilliant at improvisation. He’s always ready to try things out and explore different ideas. It became kind of a cult thing—O Pochi… It’s very special. Some things just stick with you, and they become important. We did a lot of things like this with our father.”

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, written and directed by Aditya Chopra in his directorial debut, was the most successful film of 1995 which broke many box office records. It maintains its legacy of being screened at the Maratha Mandir to this date. The management of Maratha Mandir initially concluded the film’s run after 1,009 weeks on February 19, 2015, due to low attendance, with the final showing attended by 210 individuals. After constant insistence and support from fans and discussions with the production company, a decision was made to reinstate the film. It’s been 30 years now and the film still manages to find a place in the hearts of its admirers.