Anupam Kher

Anupam Kher is one of Indian cinema's most respected and prolific actors, born on 7 March 1955 in Shimla. He made a celebrated debut in Saaransh (1984) and has appeared in more than 500 films across Hindi and international cinema, earning the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

Anupam Kher is one of Indian cinema's most respected and prolific actors, with a career spanning more than five hundred films across Hindi and international productions. Born on 7 March 1955 in Shimla, he made an unforgettable debut as an old man in Saaransh (1984) while still in his twenties, and has since moved effortlessly between intense drama, comedy and character roles. This page covers the Anupam Kher biography, his age, family, career, awards, favourites and net worth.

The Anupam Kher family hails from Shimla. His father, Pushkarnath Kher, worked as a clerk in the Forest Department, and his mother, Dulari Kher, was a homemaker. His younger brother, Raju Kher, is also an actor. The family was of modest means, and Kher has often spoken about his humble beginnings.

Anupam Kher studied at DAV School in Shimla and Government College, Shimla, before training as an actor at the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi. He famously arrived in Mumbai in 1981 with very little money to his name, and his early struggle before Saaransh became part of his celebrated origin story.

The Anupam Kher career took off with Saaransh (1984), in which the young actor played a grieving elderly man — a performance so accomplished it won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor and established him as a formidable talent.

Over the following decades he became one of Bollywood's most dependable performers, equally adept at drama, villainy and comedy. He won multiple Filmfare Awards, including a record number for comic performances, and appeared in hundreds of films across languages.

He extended his reach to international projects, including Hollywood and British films, and portrayed real figures such as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in The Accidental Prime Minister. He also founded acting institutes and production companies, sharing his craft with new generations of performers.

In his personal life, Anupam Kher was first married to actress Madhumalti Kapoor, from whom he separated. He later married actress and politician Kirron Kher in 1985, and through this marriage he is stepfather to actor Sikandar Kher. He is a firm believer in astrology and is known for his outspoken public persona and his memoirs, in which he reflects candidly on his journey.

The Anupam Kher net worth is estimated by third-party outlets to run into the hundreds of crores of rupees, drawn from a vast film career, his acting institutes, production ventures and public speaking — figures that are public estimates rather than confirmed numbers. His contribution to the arts has been recognised at the highest level: he was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2004 and the Padma Bhushan in 2016, alongside numerous Filmfare and National Award honours.