Anupam Kher is an Indian Actor and Producer. He is best-known for his roles in Silver Linings Playbook, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, and Rang De Basanti. He has worked in movies of different languages and is the only actor to win the 5 consecutive Filmfare Awards for Best Comic Role. Let us find out some more interesting details about Anupam Kher’s life, his family, biography and other facts.
Biography/Wiki
Anupam Kher was born on 7 March 1955 (age 68; as of 2023) in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. He did his schooling from DAV Higher Secondary School, Lakkar Bazar, Shimla. Further, he pursued his graduation in Economics from Government College, Himachal Pradesh University. While in college, Anupam participated in various stage dramas and was named as the Best Actor of the Himachal Pradesh University. During the said period, he attended a walk-in audition at the Department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, Chandigarh; offering a scholarship of ₹200.
Anupam Kher in the Acting School, Chandigarh
In 1974, he started pursuing Drama from Panjab University, where his first lesson was how to pour tea properly. After attaining a Gold Medal in Theatre from Punjab University, he got admission into the National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi. Anupam and Satish Kaushik, veteran actor, were batchmates at NSD.
Anupam Kher along with Anil Kapoor and Satish Kaushik
An old photo of Anupam Kher while studying at the NSD
After graduating from NSD, Anupam got a job as a professor of drama at the Bhartendu Drama Centre in Lucknow. On 3 June 1981, he relocated to Mumbai and started pursuing his acting career.
Anupam Kher During his Struggling Days in Mumbai
Anupam held the post of the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and the Director of The National School Of Drama. He resigned from the post of FTII Chairman due to his commitments to an international TV show in the U. S.
Physical Appearance
Height: 5′ 7″
Weight: 70 kg
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Family, Wife & Caste
Anupam was born into a Kashmiri Pandit Family to Pushkarnath Kher and Dulari Kher. His father was a clerk in the Forest Department and mother is a homemaker. He is the elder brother of Actor and Director, Raju Kher.
Anupam Kher With His Family
Anupam Kher With His Father and Mother
Anupam Kher With His Mother And Brother, Raju Kher
In 1979, Anupam had an arranged marriage to the actress, Madhumalti Kapoor. However, things did not work out well, leading to an unhappy married life, and so, he divorced Madhumalati.
Anupam Kher’s Ex-Wife, Madhumalti Kapoor
In 1985, Anupam married his best-friend, Kirron Kher, whom he met in Chandigarh Theatre Group. Kirron was previously married to a Mumbai-based businessman, Gautam Berry, and had a son, Sikandar. In 1985, Kirron divorced Gautam and married Anupam Kher. Sikandar Kher is also an actor.
Anupam Kher With His Wife Kirron Kher
Anupam Kher with his Son Sikander Kher and Wife Kirron Kher
Career
In 1982, Anupam made his acting debut with the movie Aagman. In 1984, he got his big break when he was offered the movie Saaransh; wherein the 28-year old Anupam, played the role of a 60-year old retired middle-class Maharashtrian man who lost his son.
Anupam Kher in Saaransh
After Saaransh earned him huge applause, Anupam was offered nearly 100 movies within a span of two weeks. In 1987, he debut in the Telugu movie, Trimurtulu, starring Daggubati Venkatesh. He starred in the 1990 Malayalam movie, Indrajaalam. He played crucial roles in the movies like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Veer Zaara (2004), Jab Tak Hai Jaan(2012) and many more. He also starred in Marathi movie, Kashala Udyachi Baat (2013), Chinese movie, Lust & Caution (2007), Hollywood movie, Gandhi Park in Hollywood (2007), and the Punjabi movie, Tera Mera Ki Rishta (2009).
Anupam Kher, Jeetendra, Sobha Kapoor and Kirron Kher
Anupam also received international fame for his work in the movies like, Bend it Like Beckham (2002), Bride and Prejudice (2004), Speedy Singhs (2011), and Silver Lining Playbook (2012), etc. In 1986, he was critically acclaimed for his role as a terrorist in the movie, ‘Karma.’
Anupam Kher as Villian in the movie, Karma
Anupam hosted TV shows like Say Na Something To Anupam Uncle, Sawaal Dus Crore Ka, The Anupam Kher Show – Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, and Lead India. In 2000, he produced a Bengali movie, Bariwali. In 2002, he directed and produced the movie, ‘Om Jai Jagadish’ starring Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Fardeen Khan. He also produced and acted in the movie, ‘Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara’ in 2005. Anupam played the role of Police Commissioner named Rathod in the movie, ‘A Wednesday,’ which was highly appreciated.
Anupam Kher in the Movie A Wednesday
Awards/Honors
- Best Actor in Filmfare Awards for “Saaransh” (1984)
Anupam Kher With His Filmfare Best Actor Award for Saaransh
- Best Supporting Actor in Filmfare Awards for “Vijay” (1988)
- Best Comedian in Filmfare Awards for “Ram Lakhan” (1989)
- Special Jury Award in National Film Awards for “Daddy” (1990)
Anupam Kher with his Awards
- Critics Award in Filmfare Awards for “Daddy” (1990)
- Best Comedian in Filmfare Awards for “Lamhe” (1991)
- Best Comedian in Filmfare Awards for “Khel” (1992)
- Best Comedian in Filmfare Awards for “Darr” (1993)
- Best Supporting Actor in Star Screen Awards for “1942: A Love Story” (1994)
- Best Comedian in Filmfare Awards for “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge” (1995)
Anupam with IIFA Award
- Best Comedian in Star Screen Awards for “Haseena Maan Jayegi” (1999)
- Best Supporting Actor in Hindi Movie Awards for “Salaakhen” (1999)
- Actor of the Decade Award-Millennium Honours (2000)
- Padma Shri by Government of India (2004)
Anupam Kher Receiving Padma Shri Award
- Special Jury Award in National Film Awards for “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara” (2005)
- Best Actor in Karachi International Film Festival for “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara” (2005)
- Best Actor in Riverside International Film Festival at California for “Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara” (2006)
- Best Actor-Comic Role (Critics) in Global Indian Film Awards for “Khosla Ka Ghosla” (2006)
- Best Comedian in Hindi Movie Awards for “Khosla Ka Ghosla” (2007)
- Outstanding Achievement in Cinema award at The Asians Awards (2013)
Anupam Kher with the Outstanding Achievement Award
- Kalakar Award for The Actor of the Year (2015)
- Padma Bhushan by Government of India (2016)
Anupam Kher Receiving Padma Bhushan Award
- Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan Award (2018)
Anupam Kher with Asha Bhosle
Controversies
- On 12 July 2016, Anupam shared a picture of butchered Kashmiri Pandits featuring the bodies of little kids on his Twitter page; the tweet was found inappropriate and he was criticised for it. However, he tried to reason his tweet, the day later.
Here is pic of butchered bodies of Kashmiri Pandits killed by terrorists. No outrage or concern by Pseudo liberals! pic.twitter.com/JIp97aNOOz
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) July 12, 2016
For all those who are outraged with a pic I posted yday- Remember brutal killing of innocent people is not supposed to have an expiry date.
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) July 13, 2016
- In January 2016, when Anupam was awarded Padma Bhushan Award, late Kader Khan was quoted saying, “What has Anupam Kher done to receive the Padma Bhushan?”
- In 2016, after receiving Padma Bhushan, Anupam shared his joy over the Twitter page. However, people dug out his tweet from 2010 wherein he said: “There is NO authenticity left in the awards giving system.”
Happy, Humbled & Honoured to share that i have been awarded The PADMA BHUSHAN by the Govt. of India. Greatest news of my life:) #JaiHind
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) January 25, 2016
AWARDS in our country have become a mockery of our system.There is NO authenticity left in any one of them.B it films, National or now PADMA
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) January 26, 2010
- In 2016, Anupam and Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP, had a Twitter war after Tharoor made a comment on Anupam’s statement, “I am scared to be called a Hindu,” and Anupam called him a “Congi chamcha.”
Come on Anupam. I say it all the time. I’m a proud Hindu. Just not the Sangh’s kind of Hindu. @AnupamPkher https://t.co/jLgKlYwL96
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 30, 2016
Come on Shashi. Never thought you will misinterpret my statement like trolls do. And behave like a Congi Chamcha. https://t.co/SOD44ZPYvM
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) January 30, 2016
. Abuse, @AnupamPkher , is what you use when you run out of arguments. I’m a proud MP of @INCIndia &I don’t resort to insults. #CongiChamcha
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 30, 2016
- Anupam again hit the controversy when a Patna-based lawyer, Sudhir Kumar Ojha, filed a suit against Anupam Kher and Akshaye Khanna for damaging the image of ex-Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and the Secretary-General, Sanjaya Baru in the film ‘Accidental Prime Minister’ (2019).
Car collection
Anupam owns a BMW and a Mahindra Scorpio.
Assets & Properties
Anupam possesses 70 gram of gold jewellery valued at ₹20 lakh and two apartments at Juhu and Andheri West in Mumbai. He resides at 402 Marina, Juhu Tara Raod, Juhu Beach, Mumbai. In 2016, he gifted an eight-bedroom mansion to his mother in Shimla and named it ‘Kherwadi.’
Anupam Kher With His Family at Kherwadi
Salary & Net Worth
As in 2014, Anupam’s salary was ₹2.17 crore. His Net Worth was approximated to be ₹400 crore in 2018.
Signature
Anupam’s Signature
Favourite Thing
Food: Fried Prawns in Hunan sauce, Kashmiri Dum Aloo, Rajmah-Chawal, and Chinese Cuisines
Actors: Robert De Niro and Ranbir Kapoor
Actress: Vidya Balan
Anupam Kher With Actress Vidya Balan
Politician: Narendra Modi
Anupam Kher with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Restaurant: Sampan in Mumbai
Hobbies: Listening to old Hindi songs and reading
Food Habit: Non-vegetarian
Facts
- Anupam stole an amount of ₹118 when he was a student at Himachal Pradesh University from his parents to attend a walk-in audition in Chandigarh. On returning, he found that his parents had called the police about the lost money. His mother slapped him when the truth unveiled.
- When he was offered the movie, Saaransh in 1984 by Mahesh Bhatt, the producer of the movie did not want to experiment with a new face and chose Sanjeev Kumar over Anupam Kher. Frustrated with this, Anupam reached Mahesh Bhatt and called him a “con man.” However, Mahesh Bhatt supported Anupam and gave an ultimatum to the production house that he would not do the film if Anupam was not given the lead role.
Anupam Kher with Mahesh Bhatt
- Anupam is one of the founding members of People for Animals.
- He is a firm believer of Astrology.
- He is the founder of a Public Charitable Trust, Anupam Kher Foundation; which provides education to less privileged children.
- Anupam played the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the TV serial, Raj Se Swaraj Tak.
Anupam Kher as Gandhiji in Raj Se Swaraj Tak
- Anupam Kher’s face has been used as “California Crook”, the YouTube prank caller which went viral. All these videos use a picture of Anupam Kher portraying the fictional prank call caller “California Crook.”
- Anupam faced a financial crisis when he turned a producer. As per reports, he borrowed a huge amount from the industry people which he was not able to repay. To recur the borrowed amount, his wife, Kirron started working again in Bollywood.
Anupam With His Wife Kirron
- Other than being an actor, producer and director, he is also a teacher and proprietor of ‘Actor Prepares,’ ‘Final Cut,’ ‘Anupam Kher Company,’ ‘Anupam Kher’s Talent Company,’ ‘Curtain Call,’ and ‘Anupam Kher Production.’
- Throughout his acting career, Anupam has worked in nearly 500 movies in various languages.
- In 2019, Anupam played the role of Ex-Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh in the movie, “The Accidental Prime Minister” along with actor Akshaye Khanna; which is based on the book of the same name by Sanjaya Baru.
Anupam Kher as Dr Manmohan Singh
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education