Anupam Kher will be given the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Indian Cinema award at the upcoming International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) awards ceremony to be held in Bangkok this month.
Having started his acting journey with Mahesh Bhatt’s Saaransh, there was no looking back for the versatile actor who proved his mettle as an actor and carried forward his golden streak in films including Karma, Lamhe, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maara, Khosla Ka Ghosla, A Wednesday and Special 26 to name a few.
Making his country proud at the global level, the thespian went international and worked with acclaimed directors such as Gurinder Chaddha, David O Russell, Ang Lee and Woody Allen. He is credited to be the only Indian actor to have shared screen space with the legendary actor Robert De Niro in the Oscar nominated movie Silver Linings Playbook.
Not one to rest on his laurels, in 2005 Anupam Kher established his dream project Actor Prepares, a premier acting school in Mumbai, where he takes time off his hectic schedule to personally impart some of his acting secrets to tomorrow’s actors and superstars.
Interestingly, Kher is the only actor to have had the distinction of being the Chairman of the institutes that he once studied – both National School of Drama and Film & Television Institute of India.
Anupam Kher says, “Thank you IIFA for acknowledging my achievements in Cinema. I am privileged to be a part of our Film Industry, which has been so generous in the showing of love and warmth upon me. My 34 years of work has helped me achieve great milestones and at a time when actors my age are offered the Life Time Achievement Award, I prefer to ride on another 34 years exploring new and exciting opportunities in Indian and International Cinema. I am humbled and happy to be the recipient of this award instituted by IIFA. With every such award comes a sense of responsibility which I promise to be committed to, in our industry and also, as a representative of our country in the International arena.”
Currently one of India’s most successful crossover actor, Kher has the distinction of having bagged two nominations at the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Silver Linings Playbook (2013) & The Big Sick (2018) and a BAFTA nomination for The Boy With A Topknot. In addition to his popular shows, Sense8 and The Indian Detective, the thespian has just wrapped NBC’s medical drama and now been signed on to BBC’s highly anticipated drama, Mrs Wilson.
