Biography

Anupam Kher currently stars as Dr. Vijay Kapoor on the NBC drama "New Amsterdam."

Kher is one of India's most prominent actors. He has appeared in more than 100 plays and has been featured in over 500 films. Besides Hindi cinema, his resume includes many acclaimed international films, such as the Golden Globe-nominated "Bend It Like Beckham," Ang Lee's Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion-winning "Lust," David O. Russell's Oscar-nominated "Silver Linings Playbook" and the Sundance Film Festival hit "The Big Sick," in which he was nominated for a SAG Award in the category of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. Last year Kher was also nominated for a BAFTA for his performance in the BBC TV movie "The Boy with the Topknot."

This year Kher starred as Chef Oberoi in "Hotel Mumbai," opposite Dev Patel and Armie Hammer. The film, based on the devastating 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, premiered at the 2018 Toronto Film Festival and was released in limited theaters in March 2019. Additionally, Kher appears in the BBC miniseries "Mrs. Wilson," opposite Ruth Wilson. The series, which later aired in the U.S on PBS, was nominated for a 2019 BAFTA TV Award in the category of Best Mini-Series.

Kher has been the recipient of a record eight FilmFare Awards in a row. Recently, he was bestowed the Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema Award at the 2018 IIFA (Indian International Film Awards). He has also been honored with the Padma Bhushan Award, which is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India. He was previously the chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification and National School of Drama in India and is former chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India. Kher has a massive international following with more than 13.4 million Twitter followers and over 2.4 million Instagram followers.

Beyond acting, Kher is a teacher, author, motivational speaker and activist. Kher is the author of the bestselling motivational book "The Best Thing About You Is You" and was ranked #12 on Richtopia's 2017 list of top 200 authors in the world. He is widely sought after as a motivational speaker, having delivered speeches at prestigious institutes such as the Kellogg's School of Business, London School of Economics, New York Film Academy, Babson Business College and many more. He has been honored with the Dalai Lama Award for his work with underprivileged children, a service that he continues to offer through the Anupam Kher Foundation. He is also the United Nations brand ambassador for their "He for She" campaign that strives for gender equality.

Kher is married to actress Kirron Kher, who is a Member of Indian Parliament. He resides in Mumbai, India.