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Anupam Kher

Anupam Kher has built a screen career defined by range: stern authority figures, comic fathers, outright villains and men carrying private grief. Born in Shimla on 7 March 1955, he studied theatre at Panjab University before graduating from New Delhi’s National School of Drama in 1978. His stage background remains easy to see in the precision and force he brings to a scene, whether playing broadly for comedy or holding the camera in quieter moments. His 1984 film debut, Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaransh, immediately established the depth of that range. Kher played a 60-year-old man struggling with the death of his only son, a performance that earned him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He soon moved confidently into mainstream Hindi cinema, playing the ruthless Dr Michael Dang in Karma and appearing in major films including Ram Lakhan, Chandni, Parinda, Dil, Lamhe and Darr. Kher became an especially familiar presence in landmark Hindi romances and family films. Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Mohabbatein all benefited from his ability to make a supporting character feel fully involved in the emotional machinery of the story. At the same time, acclaimed work in Daddy, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, A Wednesday! and Special 26 showed his appetite for sharper, more dramatic material. He also produced Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara and has worked as a film director and stage actor. His career has extended well beyond Hindi cinema. Bend It Like Beckham introduced him to a broad international audience, followed by projects including Bride and Prejudice, Lust, Caution, Silver Linings Playbook and The Big Sick. He has also worked in Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. More recently, he played former prime minister Manmohan Singh in The Accidental Prime Minister and took a leading role in The Kashmir Files. Across these varied projects, Kher’s strength has remained consistent: he can give even a supporting role weight, personality and a clear place within the larger film.