Anupam Kher Age, Wife, Family, Children, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Anupam Kher

• Does Anupam Kher smoke: No (Quit)

• Does Anupam Kher drink alcohol: Yes

• Anupam was born into a middle-class Kashmiri Pandit family with roots in Srinagar.
  

  Anupam Kher’s Childhood Photo With His Mother

• In his childhood, he was a below average student who never scored more than 38 marks. Moreover, he was also mediocre at sports. The only field in which he excelled was theatre and drama.
  

  Anupam Kher’s Childhood Photo

• He took his artistic skills to the next level when he was pursuing his graduation in Government College, Shimla, and was named the best actor of Himachal Pradesh University.
  

  Anupam Kher (left) With Raju Kher (right)

• When he was studying at the Himachal Pradesh University, he saw a walk-in audition advertisement of Panjab University, Chandigarh; offering a scholarship of ₹200. To attend the audition, Anupam stole ₹118 from his mother, which she had kept at their house’s temple.

• When he first reached Chandigarh for the walk-ins, he was given an option to perform either on a script for girls or boys. Intuitively, he chose the script for girls. His interviewer, Balwant Gargi, gave him the remark, “Very bad but very daring.”

• In the evening of the same day, he returned to Shimla, where he saw the police being called by his parents about the lost money. When his mother asked him about the money, Anupam confidently lied and said that he knows nothing. A week later, when his father asked him, “Where had you gone that day?” he uttered the truth and received a tight slap from his mother. However, his father supported him and said,
  

  Don’t worry he is getting a scholarship of ₹200, he will return your ₹100.”

• On 27 July 1974, he again reached Chandigarh, this time for a longer stint. While learning the dramatic skills at Panjab University, the first lesson that he learned by Balwant Gargi, was how to pour tea properly.
  

  Anupam Kher In Younger Days

• Anupam first met Kirron Kher when they were both doing theatre in Chandigarh and later became the best of friends.

• During his one year stint at Panjab University’s Department of Theatre, he did theatre plays with Balwant Gargi and Amal Allana, he earned a gold medal that provided him with a direct entry at the National School of Drama (NSD).
  

  Anupam Kher At Panjab University, Chandigarh in 1974

  

  An old photo of Anupam Kher while studying at the NSD

• In the late 1970s, Kirron married Gautam Berry, whereas, Anupam married Madhumalati, however, their friendship and doing theatre together, continued. 

• Anupam passed out of NSD in 1978, after which he got a job as a lecturer in drama at the Bhartendu Drama Centre in Lucknow. After a year, he left Lucknow and reached Mumbai on 3 June 1981, where his real struggle began. He came to Mumbai with just Rs. 37 in his pocket.
  

  Anupam Kher Performing A Play In Younger Days

• During his initial days in Mumbai, he used to live in a chawl. When he was struggling for survival in Mumbai, he called his brother from Shimla, who started working at a tin factory in Mumbai; earning a salary of ₹700, which made Anupam’s survival a bit easier.

• After being rejected by several film producers, he met Mahesh Bhatt, who offered him the film ‘Saaransh’ (1984). However, the producers of Rajshri Films didn’t want to experiment with a new face and opted for Sanjeev Kumar. When Anupam came to know about his exit from the film, he reached Mahesh Bhatt with frustration and called him a “con man.” Mahesh stood by Anupam and gave an ultimatum to the production house that he would do the film only if Anupam was given the lead role.
  

  Saaransh (1984)

• ‘Saaransh’ proved to be the first milestone in his career; as the 28-year-old Anupam played the role of a 60-year-old in the film, which earned him numerous accolades.

• After the success of ‘Saaransh,’ he was offered nearly 100 films in just a span of two weeks.

• The derailed marriage lives of both Anupam and Kirron made them realize love for each other when they both were in Kolkata for a theatre play. According to Kirron, “When he was leaving the room, he looked back at me, and something passed between us. He came and knocked on my door, and said “I want to talk to you. He then said, “I think I have fallen in love with you.” And suddenly there was this immense, intense change, the chemistry exploded. I got a divorce and married him. He had nothing then.”
  

  Anupam Kher With Kirron Kher in the 1980s

• He has also essayed the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1986 TV Series ‘Raj Se Swaraj Tak.’
  

  Anupam Kher As Mahatma Gandhi In Raj Se Swaraj Tak

• His initial stint as a producer didn’t work out well; as he was under huge debt. To repay the debts, his wife, Kirron supported him by again working in Bollywood.

• He is the only actor to win the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role 5 times.

• Apart from being an actor, he is also a successful entrepreneur and is the proprietor of ‘Actor Prepares’, ‘Final Cut,’ ‘Anupam Kher Company, ‘Anupam Kher’s Talent Company,’ ‘Curtain Call,’ and ‘Anupam Kher Production.’

• In 2008, he founded ‘Anupam Kher Foundation,’ which aims at providing education to underprivileged children and medical care to people with life-limiting diseases.
  

  Anupam Kher Foundation

• After living in the rented houses for several years, Anupam bought the first ever house for his family in Shimla in 2016. He gifted it to his mother and named it “Kherwadi.”
  

  Anupam Kher With His Family Inside Kherwadi

• He is a staunch believer of astrology.

• He is one of the co-founders of People for Animals (PFA), one of India’s largest animal welfare organization.
  

  People for Animals (PFA)

• He has starred in nearly 500 films in multiple languages including Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, English, and Chinese.

• His face has been utilised by the popular YouTube prank caller “California Crook.”

• He has served as the chairperson of both the National School of Drama (NSD) and the Censor Board of India. In October 2018, he resigned from the post of FTII Chairman due to his commitments to an international TV show in the U. S.

It has been an honour, a privilege & a great learning experience to be the Chairman of the prestigious @FTIIOfficial. But because of my international assignments I won’t have much time to devote at the institute. Hence decided to send my resignation. Thank you. 🙏 @Ra_THORe pic.twitter.com/lglcREeYM2

— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) October 31, 2018

• In 2019, Anupam portrayed the role of the former Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh, in the film ‘The Accidental Prime Minister.’ According to Anupam, it has been his toughest role ever. Moreover, he did meditation for the first time in his life; as he was finding it difficult to bring out the composure of Manmohan Singh on-screen.
  

  Anupam Kher As Manmohan Singh And Divya Seth As Gursharan Kaur In- The Accidental Prime Minister

• On the night of 19 June 2024, his Mumbai office was robbed. Anupam Kher later filed an FIR in which he mentioned the thieves stole the safe which had more than Rs. 4 lakh in cash, and a bag containing the negatives of his production Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara (2005).

• In September 2024, Kher updated his CV on LinkedIn to celebrate his appearance in over 500 films. In the CV, he referred to himself as a “struggling actor.”