The Lady Who Inspired Anupam Kher To Direct Again After 23 Years

There’s
a
reason
why
Anupam
Kher
directed

Tanvi
The
Great.

It’s
because
of
his
niece,
Tanvi,
who
is
autistic.

“The
character
is
not
treated
like
there
is
something
wrong
with
her.
I
genuinely
believe
people
like
my
niece
Tanvi
have
super
powers
and
have
the
ability
to
do
certain
things
differently,”
Kher
says
at
the
film’s
trailer
launch
in
Mumbai
on
Monday,
June
30,
2025.
This
is
his
second
directorial
after

Om
Jai
Jagdish
in
2002.

Kher
invited
Robert
De
Niro
to
a
recent
screening
of

Tanvi
The
Great
in
New
York.

“I
spoke
to
his
wife
Tiffany
and
invited
her
two
hours
before
the
premiere
was
to
start.
Tiffany
said
Bob
is
coming;
he
will
come
only
for
15
minutes.
I
said,
‘Oh
God,

sab
chaos

tha!
It
was
very
strange
to
sit
next
to
Mr
De
Niro
and
his
wife.”

“I
was
watching
him.
That
fan
moment
never
goes
because
in
drama
school,
I
researched
his
films
like

Mean
Streets
and

Taxi
Driver.
He
told
me
‘Your
hair
is
very
good
(referring
to
the
wig
that
Kher
wears
in
the
film).’
He
loved
the
movie
and
stayed
till
the
interval.
That
was
a
big
thing
for
me,”
Kher
says.

Newcomer
Shubhangi
plays
Tanvi
in
the
film,
and
calls
it
a
privilege.

“I
keep
telling
everybody
that
this
is
my
second
birth.
It’s
a
very
big
chance,
and
I’m
still
processing
everything
and
everyday
that’s
happening
in
my
life,”
she
says.

Television
actor
Karan
Tacker
makes
his
big
screen
debut
with

Tanvi
The
Great.

“It’s
definitely
nerve-wracking,”
he
says.

“I
have
been
working
for
the
last
16
years
but
every
time
we
have
a
release,
it
makes
me
anxious.
My
hands
and
feet
get
cold,”
says
Karan.

“I
remember
when
sir
(Kher)
called
me
about
a
year-and-a-half
ago,
and
narrated
the
concept
to
me,
and
then
on
the
very
first
day
when
he
played
the
music,
I
was
sold.
I
told
him,
I
just
want
to
work
with
you.
Today,
I
feel
very
happy
and
moved
to
see
the
trailer.”

Pallavi
Joshi
spoke
about
the
film’s
premiere
at
Cannes.

“Cannes

ka
experience

hamara
bohot
achha
raha
because
we
were
all
together
and
relaxed
and
did
not
have
to
learn
any
script.
We
also
knew
that
we
had
a
good
film
on
hand
although
we
hadn’t
seen
it
yet,”
the
actress
says.

“When
we
watched
it
at
Cannes,
we
had
same
emotion
—
we
were
laughing
and
crying
at
the
same
time.
Hats
off
to
Anupamji
for
making
that
happen,
not
just
in
one
or
two
scenes
but
throughout
the
film.”

“When
I
heard
the
song,
tears
were
flowing
down.
I
cry
a
lot.
I
don’t
cry
in
front
of
anyone
but
I
do
cry
in
front
of
you,
Mr
Keeravani.
You
gave
us
the
music,
it’s
an
honour
to
be
on
this
stage
with
you,”
Jackie
Shroff
says.

“I
didn’t
come
from
any
school,
but
after
living
with
Anupam
sir,
I
got
to
learn
a
lot.”

Sound
designer
Resul
Pookutty
feels
more
such
films
should
be
made.

“This
film
is
not
melancholic
or
about
disability.
This
film
is
about
the
celebration
of
life.
It’s
an
uplifting
film.

Tanvi
The
Great
is
the
need
of
the
hour,”
he
says.

“As
a
film
enthusiast,
a
film-maker
and
a
person
who
has
been
working
in
this
field
for
the
last
25
years,
I
feel
this
film
will
be
a
turning
point
for
movie
cinema
because
it’s
a
film
the
director
totally
believed
in.

“The
corporate
said,
numbers
are
not
working,
these
people
can’t
bring
in
money
or
people
to
theatres.
But
eventually,
what
makes
people
come
to
theatres
is
the
story.
That’s
what
this
man
(Anupam
Kher)
has
done.”

Watch:
M
M
Keeravani
gives
everyone
a
special
peek
into
the
film’s
soundtrack
by
singing
his
favourite
songs.