When Raju Kher Sold His House for a Channel That Vanished

Actor-director Raju Kher has revisited the year that reshaped how he thinks about money, family and expectations. In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, he described putting the proceeds of a house sale into a television show for a new channel—only to find the channel gone.

A 4-BHK dream, then a locked door

Around 2000, he said, the launch felt real: pilots were being made and agreements signed. He had made a programme called Life Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega and believed he had secured a first-class life for his family, including a 4-BHK house.

Then the channel disappeared. In Raju’s words, there was “just a lock on their door.” With the money gone and work dried up, he landed in a rented flat and began feeling the pressure of monthly rent.

Why Anupam Kher could not be the rescue

Raju turned to his elder brother Anupam Kher, expecting him to step in. But Anupam, he later understood, had also stopped working at that time—he was holding out for substantial roles rather than, as Raju put it, “weird films.”

The breakthrough was an unlikely one: a magazine interview read in the bathroom. Anupam had said, “I wish I had my own child.” That one line made Raju see a side of his brother he had ignored. He said the family had taken Anupam for granted, assuming financial success meant he had no problems.

That, Raju said, changed the whole concept of his life. From that day he stopped expecting anything from anyone.

Work came back after he let go

For months he tried rings, rituals and prayers. When nothing shifted, he told his wife they should trust fate and removed all the rings. The next day, he said, a TV serial offer arrived. He accepted immediately and asked the makers to pay whatever they wanted.

Anupam later added his own side: he has signed cheques for Raju and the household for years, and told his manager never to ask how much he gives his brother. He also praised Kirron Kher for never questioning the support.

What the story teaches

• Financial success can hide private struggles even within a family.
• Before expecting help, check what the other person is going through.
• Letting go of forced outcomes can change the next day—Raju’s work returned after he stopped pressing.

Source: The Times of India