Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who is considered one of the greatest actors of contemporary cinema. He has appeared in nearly 470 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood (Hindi) films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well most notably the 2013 Oscar nominated Silver Linings Playbook. Kher was born in Shimla into a Kashmiri Pandit Hindu family. His father was a clerk and he had a modest upbringing. He left his home in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, northern India, determined to make it as an actor and spent three years knocking on every door in Mumbai, the country\'s movie capital, ready to accept defeat. He spent many days hungry, sleeping on railway stations at times because he did not have money to pay for a hotel room. There were moments when he felt that he had compromised his dignity as a human being and as an actor. He persevered and a year later, landed the role of a 60-year-old man in Saaransh, a movie about a man who struggles with bureaucratic red tape to get the ashes of his young son who had died in the US. Anupam was so convincing in the role, even though he was only 29, he won The National Award for best actor. Read Less