Kirron Kher

Kirron Anupam Kher (also Kiran or, Kiron, Through her film career, she is the recipient of two National Film Awards and a Lux Style Award, and has received four Filmfare Award nominations.

Early life Kiran Singh was born on 14 June 1952 in Bangalore, Mysore State, India During the period of her first marriage to Gautam Berry, she was known as 'Kiran Berry'. When she married Anupam Kher, she resumed her maiden name and also added her latest husband's surname, being known as 'Kiran Thakar Singh Kher'. In later life, she developed a firm belief in numerology, and in 2003 (aged 51), she changed her name from "Kiran" to "Kirron" based on numerological calculations, dropped her maiden names, and came to be known as 'Kirron Kher.' She is sometimes known as 'Grandma India.'

Kirron has one brother and two sisters. Her brother, the artist Amardeep Singh Sandhu, died in 2003. One of her sisters is the Arjuna Award–winning badminton player, Kanwal Thakar Kaur. Her other sister, Sharanjit Kaur Sandhu, is the wife of a retired senior officer of the Indian Navy.

Kirron went to school in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, and completed her school education in Chandigarh, and then graduated from the Department of Indian Theatre of Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Career Kirron made her film debut in 1983 in the Punjabi feature film Aasra Pyar Da . After this, she took a hiatus from films until 1996. Between 1983 and 1996, she appeared in one film, Pestonjee (1987), in which she acted in a small role alongside her second husband Anupam Kher.

Her return to acting came in the mid–1990s, through theatre, with the play Saalgirah written by playwright Javed Siddiqui and directed by Feroz Abbas Khan. She then hosted three television shows, starting with the short–lived Purushkshetra on Zee TV which got attention for bringing out the discussion of alternative sexuality for the first time, while also highlighting women's issues. Kirron Kher Today and Jagte Raho with Kirron Kher, before doing Hindi films.

Her comeback film was Sardari Begum (1996), directed by Shyam Benegal. Her performance received high critical acclaim and earned her the National Film Award – Special Jury Award (feature film).

She then appeared in film director Rituparno Ghosh's Bengali film Bariwali (1999), to critical acclaim. a film that portrays the plight of a woman abducted during partition of India, her character not only refused to kill herself as suggested by her family, but marries her abductor and, after his death, makes an earning teaching Quran to local children. It shows how her life changes dramatically when her son takes up Islamic extremism in 1979 during the rule of Zia–ul–Haq and his process of Islamization of Pakistan. She won the Best Actress Award at the Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland, the Karachi International Film Festival, Karachi, and International Festivals at Ciepie in Argentina, and Cape Town in South Africa while the film won the Best Film – Golden Leopard, Festival Grand Prize at Locarno.

The 2004 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) paid tribute to Kher during its annual festival.

In October 2004, Kher made a guest appearance, along with her husband, in the American TV series ER playing Parminder Nagra's mother, Mrs. Rasgotra, in the episode "Damaged".

In 2005, she played the role of Sunanda in the tele-serial Prratima on Sahara One channel, before which she had appeared in TV series like Dil Na Jaane Kyon (Zee TV), Isi Bahane, and Chausath Panne.

Despite playing mostly supporting roles, her successful films include Main Hoon Na (2004), Hum Tum (2004), Veer-Zaara (2004), and Mangal Pandey: The Rising (2005), where her performance drew rave reviews. Her work in Rang De Basanti (2006) was also acclaimed with her performance earning her a second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her role in Fanaa (2006) and Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006) also received appreciation, receiving her third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the latter.

Adding to her list of comical roles in 2008 she appeared in Singh Is Kinng, Saas Bahu Aur Sensex and Dostana, receiving her fourth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for the lattermost. In 2009, she appeared as judge on India's Got Talent, the Indian franchise of the Got Talent series.

Socio-political activism Kirron Kher has been involved with non-profit movements such as Laadli (a campaign against female infanticide) and Roko Cancer (a campaign for awareness of cancer). She joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in 2009. She campaigned for the party in across the country during the elections, including in Chandigarh for the 2011 municipal corporation elections. She has been a vocal admirer of BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi since long before his candidature was announced. Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) declared her as the Lok Sabha candidate from Chandigarh for General Elections, 2014. Subsequently, in May 2014, she won the seat with 1,91,362 votes, defeating sitting MP, Congress leader Pawan Bansal who received 1,21,720 votes, while AAP's Gul Panag came in third position with 1,08,679 votes.

As a Member of parliament from Chandigarh and having connection with the film industry, Kirron promised a film city for Chandigarh. After winning the seat, she said that she had difficulty in acquiring land in Chandigarh. However, her proposal was accepted by the Chandigarh Administration and the film city is proposed to be set up in Sarangpur, Chandigarh.

Kirron Kher, BJP candidate, won in 2019 Indian general election Chandigarh constituency by a margin of 46,970 votes.

Controversy After a woman was gang raped by an auto rickshaw driver and his accomplices in Chandigarh in 2017, she suggested that women should avoid traveling with strangers, earning widespread criticism from the opposition and social media.

Personal life Kirron married Gautam Berry, a Mumbai–based businessman, in first week of March 1979, and had a son, Sikandar Kher.

In Mumbai, Kirron tried throughout the 1980s to get a foothold in the film industry, but without success. While visiting producer after producer seeking a role in films, Kirron renewed her acquaintance with Anupam Kher, who was also a similarly struggling actor, and whom she had known slightly at university in Chandigarh. Moving in the same theatre circles, they worked together in a play called Chandpuri Ki Champabai. In 1985, after Anupam had secured a break in films with Saaransh (1984), Kirron divorced her first husband.

In 2020, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

Filmography Note: all films are in Hindi, unless otherwise noted. Year Film Role Notes 1983 Aasra Pyaar Da Sheela Punjabi film 1988 Pestonjee Soona Mistry credited as Kirron Thakursingh–Kher 1996 Sardari Begum Sardari Begum National Film Award – Special Jury Award (feature film) 1997 Darmiyaan: In Between Zeenat Begum 1999 Bariwali Banalata Bengali film; National Film Award for Best Actress 2001 Ehsaas: The Feeling Antra's mother 2002 Devdas Sumitra Chakraborty Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress Karz: The Burden of Truth Savitri Devi 2004 Khamosh Pani Veero/Ayesha Khan Indo-Pakistani Punjabi film;Lux Style Award for Best Film Actress Main Hoon Na Madhu Sharma Hum Tum Parminder 'Bobby' Prakash (Rhea's mother) Veer–Zaara Mariam Hayaat Khan (Zaara's mother) 2005 Mangal Pandey: The Rising Lol Bibi It Could Be You Mrs. Dhillon English film 2006 Rang De Basanti Mitro (DJ's Mother) Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress Fanaa Nafisa Ali Begum (Zooni's mother) Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Kamaljit 'Kamal' Saran Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress I See You Mrs. Dutt 2007 Just Married Shobha Chaturvedi Apne Raavi B. Choudhary Om Shanti Om Bela Makhija (Om's mother) 2008 Singh Is Kinng Rose Lady (Sonia's mother) Saas Bahu Aur Sensex Binita Sen Dostana Mrs. Seema Acharya (Sam's mother) Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress 2009 Kambakkht Ishq Aunt Dolly Kurbaan Nasreen Aapa 2010 Milenge Milenge Tarot Card Reader Action Replayy Bholi Devi 2011 Mummy Punjabi Baby R. Arora 2012 Ajab Gazabb Love Rashmi Grewal 2014 Gunday Courtesan (Deleted scene) Total Siyapaa Asha's mother Khoobsurat Manju (Mili's mother) Punjab 1984 Satwant Kaur (Shiva's mother) Punjabi film

Television Year Program Language Role Notes 1988 Isi Bahane Hindi 1999 Gubbare Hindi 1999–2000 Kanyadaan Hindi 2004 Prratima Hindi Sunanda Sukumar Roy ER English Mrs. Rasgotra Episode: "Damaged" 2009–2023 India's Got Talent Hindi Judge

Awards and nominations

1997: National Film Award – Special Jury Award (feature film): Sardari Begum 2000: National Film Award for Best Actress: Bariwali 2003: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress: Devdas (Nominated) 2003: IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress: Devdas 2003: Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress: Devdas (Nominated) 2003: Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress: Devdas 2003: Sansui Viewers' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress: Devdas (Nominated) 2003: Locarno International Film Festival: Best Actress: Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) 2003: Karachi International Film Festival: Best Female Actor in a Leading Role: Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) 2003: Lux Style Award for Best Film Actress: Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters) 2005: Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress: Hum Tum (Nominated) 2005: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female: Hum Tum (Nominated) 2005: Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Hum Tum (Nominated) 2005: Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress: Veer-Zaara 2007: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Nominated) 2007: IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress: Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (Nominated) 2007: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress: Rang De Basanti (Nominated) 2007: IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress: Rang De Basanti (Nominated) 2007: Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress: Rang De Basanti 2007: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female: Rang De Basanti (Nominated) 2007: Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress: Rang De Basanti (Nominated) 2007: Bollywood Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress: Rang De Basanti 2009: Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress: Dostana (Nominated) 2009: IIFA Award for Best Supporting Actress: Dostana (Nominated) 2010: Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress: Dostana (Nominated) 2010: Stardust Award for Best Supporting Actress: Kurbaan 2010: Producers Guild Film Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Kurbaan 2015: PTC Punjabi Film Awards: Best Actress (Critics): Punjab 1984