I never carry the burden of my legacy: Anupam Kher

With an experience of over 30 years behind him, Anupam Kher says the only way to still come across fresh as an actor is to constantly shed baggage and not take oneself seriously.

Kher, who has featured in more than 500 films in his career, says he still approaches a script with a sense of "wonderment".

"Your growth stops the moment you start taking yourself seriously. That 'I have done this much work'. I never carry the burden of Anupam Kher or this 'legacy' on my shoulders. It's monotonous and presumptuous. I like to be a newcomer all the time," Kher told PTI in an interview.

The actor said millions of people come to Mumbai to be an actor, but only few do. Hence, he would like to wisely use every opportunity he gets.

"I keep wanting to raise the bar for myself because I learn more when I compete with myself. I am not easily impressed by myself. I never harp on my (successes). I talk about my past as a failure. You learn more by making mistakes and learning from them," he added.

The 64-year-old actor said today he is in a space where he doesn't want to feature in films "for the sake of it".

"Initially, when you've struggled a lot, you grab everything that comes your way. Now I want roles to challenge me, to make it difficult for me. I want the director to be good. I am lucky to have got an opportunity to work in films here or do a series abroad. I'm in a great situation where I can choose what I want to do."