Anupam Kher

"I have never judged life. If I had, I would have been a complete mess..."

-- Anupam

Perhaps it is this attitude that explains the steady evolution of Anupam, both as a person and as an actor, over his twenty-three years in the Indian film industry. Moving from very humble beginnings to acquire a gold medal at the National School of Drama, Anupam started his career through the expression that mattered most to him - theatre. He has always made time for the stage, having acted in more than a hundred plays, including Kuchh Bhi Ho Sakta Hai, which is currently being staged successfully all over the world.

However, there is no denying that Anupam is a talent mainly associated with the silver screen. With over three hundred films to his credit, in some of which his performances are stellar, Anupam has made an indelible impression in the minds of his audience as one of India's finest actors. With Gurinder Chaddha’s Bend it like Beckham, he has now forayed into the international arena with challenging projects at hand.

Dipped in films, theatre, and television, Anupam's brush strokes give us a resplendent canvas that bears the weight of the Padmashree Award bestowed upon him by the Government of India, and innumerable personal awards too. Not only has he to his credit the Special National Jury Award and the Actor of the Decade Award Millennium Honours among others, but he also holds the record for being the only actor in the industry to have won eight Filmfare awards in succession.

Yet Anupam is more than just a success story with a celluloid image. He has always concerned himself with causes that kept him grounded and let him make a difference. He has taught special children for several years, is one of the founder members of People for Animals, and has attended and organised numerous fund-raising shows for charity.

A public speaker in continual demand, Anupam has spoken on issues as varied as disadvantaged children and self-development, etc. at several fora, and also before corporate audiences like Infosys, Rajasthan Patrika, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, etc.

Anupam has initiated the country’s finest acting school, Actor Prepares, in Mumbai. Actor Prepares has now expanded its operations to Chandigarh, and will soon be opening chapters in Ahmedabad, Durban, and London.

Anupam has also set up a news syndication agency, Bollywood News Service, which specialises in covering news and features from the world of entertainment.

Other business interests of Anupam include a television production company, a talent agency, and a film production company.