Anupam Kher slams ageism, says elderly are not ‘irrelevant’: ‘Youth has speed, but experience never retires’

Actor Anupam Kher has spoken out against the tendency to dismiss elderly people as “irrelevant” or “redundant,” stressing that age does not determine a person’s value or abilities.

In a video shared on Instagram, the ‘Special 26’ actor questioned the very idea of labelling people as irrelevant simply because they have grown older. “Does a person’s software get old as he grows older? Does God send notifications after 70?” he asked, highlighting how absurd he finds such age-based assumptions. Kher also questioned those who consider older people to be of little use, asking, “Don’t you have parents? Don’t you have grandparents? Are they irrelevant or redundant for you?”

The 71-year-old actor went on to highlight the importance of experience, pointing out that while youth brings energy, new ideas and speed, age brings wisdom and an understanding of life. For the caption, Anupam said, “Timeless Golden Energy!! Youth has enthusiasm, speed, and an incredible ability to make you feel relevant and important. But experience, in itself, is a powerhouse. N. R. Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Nandan Nilekani, Anand Mahindra, Meryl Streep, James Cameron, and countless others have crossed the age of 70 and are still constantly creating something new and guiding the world in meaningful ways.”

“How many scientists, writers, artists, thinkers have done amazing things from the age of 70 to 80. Because youth gives you energy, but age gives you experience. And there is a great feature of experience. It is not available on Amazon. It has to live. Yes, the youth generation is very important. Their spirit, their impatience, their new ideas, everyone needs it.”

Anupam Kher went on to state, “And the big people happily accept this. But is it necessary to declare the elderly irrelevant to make the youth relevant? The youth have speed. The elderly have the knowledge of the roads. The youth have dreams. The elderly have the experience of reaching those dreams. And sometimes the youth feel that they know everything. The elderly know that no one knows everything. This is what age teaches, friends. The elderly are not the burden of any society.” (IANS)

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