Anupam Kher, best known for his prolific career in Indian and International cinema, has appeared in over 500 films and 100 plays, over a span of 35 years, having played iconic characters in critical and commercial hits including: Saaransh, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Karma, Khosla Ka Ghosla, A Wednesday, Special 26, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara, and The Accidental Prime Minister, to name a few. His recently released film The Kashmir Files has been declared as the most iconic film in Indian cinema having gathered worldwide acclaim, and record breaking box office collections, both at domestic and international markets.
Kher has worked with acclaimed international directors such as Ang Lee, David O. Russell, Woody Allen, Gurinder Chaddha and the Wachowskis. Some of his international projects include the films Silver Linings Playbook, Hotel Mumbai, The Boy with the Top Knot, The Big Sick and the series Sense 8 and New Amsterdam.
Anupam Kher is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (USA). His former national appointments include Chairman of institutions such as the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), National School of Drama and Film Certification Board of India. He is a recipient of the IIFA Award for Outstanding Achievement in Indian Cinema, was nominated for the prestigious British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA), and received a record breaking eight consecutive Filmfare Awards. In 2004, Kher was bestowed the Padma Shri Award, followed by the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in India, in 2016, for his distinguished service of higher order in art.
In addition to his acting career, he established Anupam Kher’s Actor Prepares in 2005, a world-renowned acting school.
Kher is also an acclaimed author with two published books: Lessons Life Taught Me, Unknowingly: An Autobiography, and The Best Thing About You Is You, which has been translated into six languages and is in its 20th edition. His third book, Your Best Day Is Today, a book of his experiences in the raging pandemic that swept the world in 2020, is scheduled to hit the stands in December 2020.
Anupam Kher is the only actor in the world who has staged his own biography in the play Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai (Nothing is impossible) which has completed over 400 shows worldwide and is the genesis of his reputation as a motivational speaker, widely sought by corporations and educational institutions including Harvard, Oxford, MIT, and Kellogg School of Management.
In 2019, Anupam Kher was listed as one of the top ten social media influencers in the world.
In 2021, Kher was awarded a Doctorate by the prestigious Hindu University of America.
He was awarded the Dalai Lama Award for his work with underprivileged children through the Anupam Kher Foundation, founded in 2008, and was also appointed as a UN Ambassador for the HeForShe campaign.
