New Delhi, March 8 (IANS): Veteran actor Anupam Kher says he is proud of his past and his work, but doesnt believe in living on the laurels he has achieved.

For the actor, success is not what you have achieved as an artist, but what you have achieved as a person.

"I consciously decided two years back that I will start from the scratch. When I came to New York, I consciously decided that I will forget what I have done all these years, let people remember that. I am thankful to all that but I will start from scratch," Anupam told IANS.

"From that point of view, it is my second year in the industry, and I still have a lot to do. I am proud of my past, my work but I am not the person who will live on laurels of what I have achieved. Or let's say that two years back I decided that after interval, now the journey starts. I have the knowledge. I have the wisdom of what I have learnt all these years and I can apply that to what I am going to do. I am happy the kind of person I have turned out to be ... That is the most important thing," he added.

The "New Amsterdam" star continued: "Success is not what you have achieved as your laurels or your awards... Success is what you have achieved as a person and whether you can motivate other people or become an example of that for other people."

The actor, who currently resides in New York, turned 65 on March 7. This year, he spent his birthday with his friend, the Hollywood legend Robert De Niro.

"I treat my birthday as a way of expressing my gratitude to people have helped me get here, people who gave me happiness, to my parents, to my loved ones and friends. I treat my birthday as a gratitude day rather than having parties."