ANUPAM KHER

ANUPAM KHER - Film Actor

Anupam Kher (born 7 March 1955) was born and raised in Shimla, into a Kashmiri Pandit family. He was educated at D.A.V. School in Shimla. He is an alumnus and a former chairperson of the National School of Drama. Some of his early acting was in plays performed at the Himachal Pradesh University.

Kher made his acting debut in the 1982 Hindi movie Aagman. Then in 1984 came Saaransh, where 28-year old Kher played a retired middle class Maharashtrian man who has lost his son. He hosted TV shows such as Say Na Something To Anupam Uncle, Sawaal Dus Crore Ka and the recent Lead India. He has had many comic roles but has also played the villain such as his acclaimed role as terrorist Dr. Dang in Karma (1986). He has starred alongside Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan many times in films such as Darr (1993), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Chaahat (1996), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000) and Veer-Zaara (2004).

He ventured into directing with Om Jai Jagadish (2003) and has also been a producer. He produced and starred in the film Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara (2005). He received the Best Actor Award from the Karachi International Film Festival for his performance in the film.

Kher is known internationally for Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), his appearance on the hit TV show ER, and more recently in The Mistress of Spices (2006) and Lust, Caution (2007). In 2012 he co-starred in the Academy Award-nominated Silver Linings Playbook.

Until recently he served as chairman of the Indian Film Censor Board. He is an alumnus of National School of Drama (1978 batch) and was its director between 2001 and 2004. He has recently been appointed the goodwill ambassador of the Pratham Education Foundation, which strives to improve children's education in India.

 In 2007, Anupam Kher, with his batchmate of NSD, Satish Kaushik, started a film production company, Karol Bagh Productions. Their first film, Tere Sang, is being directed by Satish Kaushik.

In 2009, Kher has given his Hindi voice to Carl Fredricksen in the Disney-Pixar 3D animated film Up, which also bounds to not only be his first dubbing role, but to be his very first voice role in his career, overall. 

In 2011, he starred alongside Mohanlal and Jayaprada in the Malayalam language romantic drama Pranayam. Kher has chosen Pranayam as one of the seven best films of his career. He also starred in a number of Marathi films such as 'Thoda Tuza...Thoda Maza', 'Kashala Udyachi Baat' and Punjabi films such as Yaaraan naal bahaaraan.

Anupam Kher is currently shooting for "The Dirty Politics". The movie also features Om Puri and Jackie Shroff.

Kher has written and starred in a play about his own life called Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, which is directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. 

For his role in Daddy (1989) he received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Kher has won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role five times, more than any other actor.

Anupam Kher is married to fellow actress Kirron Kher. Her son, his stepson, is actor Sikandar Kher. His brother Raju Kher is also an actor, who appeared in Anupam's directorial debut Om Jai Jagadish.

A Kashmiri by birth, Anupam Kher has been working for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits by bringing to global attention the issues concerning the community.