Having a career spanning over three decades, Anupam Kher is an Indian film and theater actor, director, and producer who is best remembered for his portrayal of a middle-aged man in the 1984 drama Saransh, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The actor has been a part of various film industries and has appeared in Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi, Marathi, Chinese, and English language movies. The versatile has played comic as well as villainous roles, and has managed to wow to the audience with each of his performances. Few of his most notable works include Hum Aapke Hai Koun..!, Karma, Dil, Khosla Ka Ghosla, A Wednesday!, and Special 26.

Anupam Kher was the Chairperson of National School of Drama from 2001 to 2005, and Central Board of Film Certification from 2003-2004. He has founded his own acting school called Actor Prepares in 2005. Apart from appearing only on the big screen, Anupam Kher was seen in the Indian 2013 crime-thriller series 24 co-starring Anil Kapoor, and also hosted his own talk show The Anupam Kher Show - Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai in 2014.

Early Life
Born to Pushkar Nath Kher, a clerk with the forest department, and Dulari Kher, a housewife, on the 7th of March, 1955 in Shimla, Anupam Kher has a brother called Raju Kher, who is also an actor. He finished her schooling from D.A.V. Public School in Shimla and went on to attend National School of Drama, New Delhi.

Personal Life
Anupam Kher married fellow theater and movie actor Kirron Kher in 1985. Kirron Kher was previously married to Gautam Berry with whom she had a son, Sikander Kher. Anupam Kher`s stepson is also an actor who made his debut with the 2008 movie Woodstock Villa.

Movie Career
Having made his acting debut with the 1982 movie Aagman, a 28-year-old Anupam Kher bagged the role of an aging father who loses his only son in Mahesh Bhatt`s 1984 drama Saransh. The movie went on to become a commercial success, being acclaimed critically and was also India`s official submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for that year. The actor`s phenomenal performance won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor.

He then appeared in various supporting roles in movies like Utsav, Arjun, Jaanoo, Misaal, Rao Saheb, and Aakhree Raasta. He then donned a negative shade in Subhash Ghai`s 1986 action Karma. The following year, he starred in the Hindi and English feature film Nehru: The Jewel of India, which revolves around the personal and political life of India`s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

He then shared screen space with Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit in 1988 action-romance Tezaab. He then collaborated with Dimple Kapadia and Raj Babbar in the same year in the movie Zakhmi Aurat. In 1989, Anupam Kher donned the role of Deodhar Shastri in Ram Lakhan. For his performance in the movie, he won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role. Playing the role of a snake charmer Gorakhnath in Nigahen: Nagina Part II. The same year, Anupam Kher starred in Daddy, marking Pooja Bhatt`s acting debut, and his portrayal of Anand won him the National Film Award - Special Mention, and Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor.

The same year, he played the role of Anju`s evil uncle Tribhuvan in the comedy-drama ChaalBaaz. He then starred in the romantic drama Dil. Next, he was seen in Yash Chopra`s Lamhe for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role. He again went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role for his performance in the 1992 romantic-comedy Khel. The same year, he appeared in movies like Beta, and Do Hanso Ka Joda.

In 1994, he starred in 1942: A Love Story starring Anil Kapoor, Manisha Koirala, and Jackie Shroff. Playing the role of Prof. Siddharth Chaudhary, Anupam Kher starred in the musical romantic comedy Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! Anupam Kher teamed up with Shah Rukh Khan in Darr and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, for both of which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role, making him the only actor to have won the maximum awards in that category. In 1997, he made his Tamil movie debut with movie V. I. P. co-starring Prabhu Deva, Abbas, Simran, and Rambha. Anupam Kher was seen donning the comic character`s hat in movies such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, Mohabbatein, and Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge.

The actor starred in the 2000 drama Kya Kehna where he the role of a single, teenage mother-to-be`s father, who after disowning his daughter ends up forgiving her. Appearing in his second Tamil language film, the Saransh star was cast alongside Bentley Mitchum and Jyothika in the fantasy movie Little John. He went on to be a part of English language films such as Bend It Like Beckham, Banana Brothers, and Mistress of Spices. He went on to win the National Film Award - Special Jury Award for his performance in the movie Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara.

He played the role of Kamal Kishore Khosla in the movie Khosla Ka Ghosla, co-starring Boman Irani, where Anupam Kher`s character cons a corrupt and powerful man to regain his property from him. The movie opened to mainly positive reviews. The actor then went on to star in Ang Lee`s Chinese erotic espionage thriller film Lust, Caution in 2007. The following year, he played the role of a police officer, looking out to find the man who has, apparently, planted a series of bombs in the city, in the movie A Wednesday! co-starring Naseeruddin Shah and Jimmy Shergill.

Having appeared in a series of movies as a supporting actor, Anupam Kher was seen in Life Partner, Dil Bole Hadippa!, Wake Up Sid, Desi Boyz, and Jab Tak Hai Jaan. He was also a part of the English movie Silver Linings Playbook, where he played the role of Dr. Patel. He teamed up with director Neeraj Pandey and actor Akshay Kumar in the crime thrillers Special 26, and Baby, both of which were commercial and critical successes. In 2016, he was also seen in Neeraj Pandey`s biopic drama M. S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, where he played the role of Dhoni`s father. The movie co-starring Sushant Singh Rajput was a commercial success and went on to become a big hit in its first week of release. The same year, he was seen in an ensemble comedy Saat Uchakkey. Reprising his role of Shukla ji from the 2015 action thriller Baby, Kher was seen in its 2017 spin-off Naam Shabana, which sees Taapsee Pannu in the lead. Next, he was cast alongside Freida Pinto and Richa Chadda in the drama Love Sonia. Teaming up with Akshay Kumar, the actor was also seen in the satirical comedy Toilet - Ek Prem Kahani, which highlights the poor sanitary conditions in most part of India. His other projects include The Accidental Prime minister (2019), One Day (2019), Hotel Mumbai (2019) and Sooryavanshi (2021).

Television Career
The movie actor first appeared on television with the game show Sawaal Dus Crore Ka in 2001. After hosting the game show, the actor appeared on the talk show for children, Say Na Something to Anupam Uncle in 2004. The same year, he appeared in an episode of the famous American series ER. After a long break from television, Anupam Kher was seen on the 2013 crime, action-thriller 24 alongside Anil Kapoor, however, he only made a special appearance in the show. The following year, he hosted his own talk show The Anupam Kher Show - Kucch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai. The talk show host was then seen in another American show Sense8 in 2015. In the year 2016, the actor hosted television historical documentary series, Bharatvarsh.