Anand Pandit shares the invaluable lessons he has learned from Amitabh Bachchan

The producer pays a heartfelt tribute to the legend’s resilience and enduring star power.

Anand Pandit, at 60, is a firm believer in the adage that age is just a number and follows the example of living legend Amitabh Bachchan, who, at the age of 81, continues to command love, respect, and awe for his enduring success and unwavering star power. The superstar is currently garnering accolades  for playing  Ashwatthama in the Telugu blockbuster ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ and an awestruck Pandit has penned a note  to say, “Reinvent yourself like this man and never retire!”

The megastar’s performance so inspired him that he wrote a note about him to several peers and colleagues grappling with career transitions and adjustment issues about their next innings. Sharing how Mr. Bachchan has remained relevant to even the generation of his  24-year-old son who watched ‘Kalki 2898 AD’ in a theatre, Pandit wrote, “A quick check of his filmography reveals that the man has done more films in his current innings (postage 60) than in his previous innings. And he is still at it. I’m not even counting the ads and the television work he has done. His name tops the A Category  list of brand endorsers and he has come this far by constantly reinventing himself.”

Pandit also referred to the career slump the star experienced when his films, like ‘Jaadugar’ and ‘Sooryavamsham,’ didn’t work because of formulaic storytelling and characters that didn’t correspond to his age.

“He then discarded his old persona, tried new formats (television shows, ads) and made  friends with a younger, newer crop of makers (Ramgopal Varma, Balki, Sanjay Gupta, Karan Johar, Shoojit Sarkar etc ). He was secure enough to step out of the spotlight. Once the Alpha male, he added his gravitas to ensembles, familiarised himself with new processes, schedules and production techniques. And continues to adapt to new challenges even at the age of 81!,” raved Pandit.

He added, “His old self dissolved and a new artist, more relevant to the current times, emerged!”  Addressing his 60-year-old friends who are confused about the way forward, Pandit concluded, “Evolve. Reinvent. Simply Be like Mr.BigB!!”