Anupam Kher turns 67: From Saaransh to A Wednesday, revisiting actor's best performances

Anupam Kher turns 67 today, 7 March. Born on this day in 1955 in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, the Khosla Ka Ghosla actor has made a mark for himself by nailing comic, serious and even negative roles with equal verve. Kher, a two-time National Film Award winner, has appeared in over 500 films, most of which are in Hindi. He has also made an appearance in the Academy-Award winner Silver Linings Playbook and even starred in the US show New Amsterdam. On his special day, let’s have a look at a couple of his best performances: Saaransh: The 1984 film by Mahesh Bhatt remains one of Kher’s most memorable roles. The actor’s captivating performance as a retired and obstinate father dealing with the loss of his only son earned him his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor. The film also starred actors like Rohini Hattangadi, Madan Jain, Nilu Phule, Suhas Bhalekar and Soni Razdan. Interestingly, the film was Kher’s debut and saw the then 28-year-old portray the character of a 65-year-old man. Karma: The 1986 film was a huge success at the box office. Kher made his presence felt with his acting skills against the late thespian Dilip Kumar and proved that he can pull off negative roles with panache. Kher played the role of Dr Dang, who successfully escapes from prison and murders the family of Rana Vishwa Pratap Singh, played by Kumar. The plot revolves around how Singh then embarks on a mission to apprehend Dang and his organisation, with the assistance of former criminals Baiju Thakur (Jackie Shroff), Johnny/Gyaneshwar (Anil Kapoor), and Khairuddin (Naseeruddin Shah). _Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge_ : Kher played the role of  Shah Rukh Khan ’s father in one of the most successful films of Hindi cinema. The versatile actor was at his best in both emotional and comic scenes in this 1995 mega-blockbuster. Khosla Ka Ghosla: The feel-good film remains relatable years after its release in 2006. The film focuses on property scams and even takes issues such as generation gap in a hilarious manner. Kher portrays the role of Kamal Kishore Khosla, a middle-class Delhi resident who, along with this family, attempts to reclaim his land from Khurana, a shady builder played by Boman Irani. A Wednesday: In this 2008 film, Kher played an upright ATS officer in a race against time to find out where another character, played by Naseeruddin Shah, had hidden bombs in Mumbai. The power-packed performances of Kher and Shah, as well as film’s theme of taking on terrorism, made it a hit with viewers. Kher will next be seen in Vivek Agnihotri ’s The Kashmir Files, which is based on the Kashmiri Pandit exodus of the 1990s.