Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher’s relationship is a testament to second chances, enduring friendship, and resilience. Both had been married before fate brought them together in the Chandigarh Theatre Group, where they built a strong foundation of trust and friendship.
Theatre, Friendship, and Everlasting Love: Kirron and Anupam Kher’s Beautiful Journey
Anupam, trapped in an unhappy arranged marriage since 1979, found comfort in Kirron’s friendship in 1980, while she was also navigating a struggling marriage with businessman Gautam Berry.
In a 2013 interview with Firstpost, Kirron Kher reflected on her long-standing friendship with Anupam before they became life partners. She shared that they started as close friends while both were actively involved in theatre in Chandigarh, despite being married to different people at the time.
"We both were in theatre in Chandigarh, and we were the best of friends. There was nothing he did not know about me, and I knew everything about him, up to the extent of knowing which girl he was planning to ‘patao’. It was fun, and we worked together well too. But there was no attraction of any kind beyond friendship," she recalled.
Their bond grew over years of travelling for theatre, sharing dreams and personal hardships. Even as Anupam pursued his cinematic aspirations after graduating from the National School of Drama, their friendship remained unshaken.
In a candid conversation with Curly Tales, Anupam Kher opened up about his deep-rooted friendship with Kirron Kher, revealing that they shared a close bond for over a decade before love entered the equation.
Reflecting on their journey, Anupam shared, "We were best of friends for ten years before that. She was married, and I was ditched by a girl after three years of relationship with her, and she (Kirron) was going through a tough time in her marriage. How that friendship turned into love and love turned into marriage, that’s a story."
By 1982, as Anupam’s career began taking off, he realised his feelings for Kirron during a theatre trip. A heartfelt confession changed the course of their relationship, leading both to end their respective marriages. In 1985, they tied the knot in a private ceremony in Gurgaon, surrounded by close theatre friends.
Marriage brought its share of struggles. Kirron and their son Sikandar often accompanied Anupam on his shoots, but financial difficulties arose when Anupam ventured into film production. Burdened with heavy debts, Kirron stepped back into acting to stabilise the family. She later admitted that three to four years of their marriage were particularly testing, yet she emerged stronger, learning to navigate independence.
Take a look at their journey here.
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