In an era where social media platforms brim with posts that call attention to the physical and mental fatigue that settles in after the age of 30, a conversation with Anupam Kher serves as an awakening. “I don’t have the desperation to be young; I have the desperation to be youthful,” says Kher, 69, who considers, explores, and completes projects within the span of time that most would spend merely mulling over an idea.

Ever so often, our conversations trace back to the concept of discovering oneself. “I’ve decided I’m not going to be called a thespian, legend, or veteran. I will not accept a lifetime achievement award for another 15 years. Some people are happy to do so, and I am proud of them. But I feel that the world constantly tries to put you in a slot—’He has worked a lot. Let’s give him a lifetime achievement award’. I don’t want that. You have to reinvent yourself; think about how the next three years of your life should turn out,” says the actor, showcasing the kind of passion for his craft, and his life, that evades individuals several years younger.