Mr Anupam Kher belongs to a different genre of actors, actors who take life as the most beautiful gift and make it the same for others around him.

And though Delhi's winter sun had yet to warm Mr Kher's room, he was his warm jovial self when I met him. Dressed in jeans and a navy blue shirt, Mr Kher offered me his usual beam when I took up the done to death topic of Sawaal Dus Crore Ka. What did he think of Zee's move?

"One thing I can say about the show is that it was hurriedly done. Zee needs to look deeper into the problem."

Did he consider Ashutosh Rana a suitable replacement? "He is a fine actor and I respect him for that, but replacing can't really mean anything till such time as the real problem is addressed. I still wish Zee luck, but I would say it was a joint failure and I sure don't want to blamed for it all alone. It's a joint debacle and that is how I want it to be seen," says Mr Kher convincingly. But Mr Kher seems to have put the Zee debacle behind him, and moved without rancour to a discussion on his new role as producer. His much acclaimed film, Bariwali, his first as producer, is receiving great reviews everywhere. What does he himself think of the movie?

"I believe in ordinariness and this is what the movie is about-it's about an ordinary woman. As an actor, I might have done roles that I agreed or didn't agree with, but as a producer, I'd to concentrate on things in which I believe."

Did he insist on his wife, Kiran Kher, playing the main role? "Rituparno (Ghosh, the director) had liked Kiran's performance in her earlier films, so she was actually his choice. And as far as Kiran is concerned, there is no doubt about her acting. I think she is a marvellous actress" he says, the pride evident in his voice.

Mr Kher is also busy with his entertainment company, called J Radical Entertainment. What is his favourite programme there? The answer comes with childlike promptness: "Say Na Something To Anupam Uncle. He says the programme is one of the most wonderful things he has ever done. "Working with children, I think, is a most difficult thing. They are amazingly honest and remain in a world of their own and to go and explore that world is amazing," says Mr Kher.

One thing that strikes you about Mr Kher, the actor, is his simplicity. But in real life, too, he is extremely down to earth, preferring to chat over a cup of tea-he even offered to butter a piece of toast for me. Which is his favourite movie? I ask him, sipping the hot tea. "Daddy. It's an amazing movie and I like it more because it is about a failure. To portray failure with dignity is very difficult." Saaransh, of course, is his next favourite.

"Then there are other movies like Lamhe, Janam, Shola Aur Shabnam and others," he adds.

What would he be if he were not an actor? "An unsuccessful actor," he says as we both burst into laughter. "It's tiring to take life seriously," he says when the laughter eases. Shoving my pen back into my bag, I ask him if I need to tell him how wonderful it's been speaking to him. "Please do, it'll make me feel nice," he beams.