After London, Durban, Anupam's next destination is US

By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, April 4 Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is literally going places - setting up acting schools in London and Durban. He now plans to open a branch in the US.

"We've completed all the formalities. The school in London will start some time in June, while the one in Durban takes off in August 2008," Anupam told IANS.

"In 2007, I started new branches of my school in Chandigarh and Ahmedabad. What started as a very small and sincere effort to share my acting skills with newcomers has now spread to three continents. For our acting school, the proudest achievement in 2007 was Deepika Padukone. Yes, she's our product," added the actor Anupam, who was trained at the National School of Drama in Delhi.

The "Saransh" star is the only actor in the world with acting schools in Asia, Europe and South Africa.

From Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" to lead India, 2007 has been an extraordinary of triumphs for the actor.

"Yes, when I look back on the year I do feel a great sense of satisfaction. I did quite a large number of films, good and not-so-good! In addition I went to Israel to do the commentary in a six-dimensional film on India and its culture, and then I gave my voice to an international animation film, in which I played an Indian horse.

"But I guess my biggest achievement is my acting school. I'm very proud of our students. The one in Mumbai is so successful that we've to take two batches of students instead one this year."