Famous Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, who will soon be seen in Netflix’s Vijay 69, recently opened up about his personal life and the feeling of missing out on parenthood. With a career spanning over four decades and more than 500 films, the actor spoke candidly about how his perspective on not having a biological child has evolved over time.
In an interview, Anupam Kher shared that while he didn’t feel much about not having a child of his own in the early years, this sentiment has changed over the last seven to eight years. He expressed how he is happy with his relationship with his stepson, actor Sikander Kher, but admitted that he missed out on the experience of watching a child grow up.
Kher said, “I didn’t feel it that much before, but now sometimes I do feel like it. It’s not that I’m unhappy with Sikander, but seeing a child grow up is a unique joy. This is an honest answer—I could have avoided it, but I want to be truthful. It’s not a tragedy, but sometimes I think it would have been a nice thing.”
As age caught up, Kher acknowledged feeling a void. He shared that his wife, Kirron Kher, became busier with her commitments, and so did Sikander, leaving him more time to reflect. Kher elaborated, “I was always extremely busy with work, but after I turned 50-55, I started feeling the void. Kirron and Sikander were both busy, and I began working with children through my foundation. It’s not a sense of loss, but sometimes when I see my friends’ children, I miss having children.
”Interestingly, Kher has played fatherly roles in many films throughout his career. His debut film Saransh (1984) portrayed him as a father grieving the loss of his son. Over the years, he has depicted various father figures on screen, adding a deeper personal connection to his roles.
Kher was previously married to Madhumalti Kapoor before marrying Kirron Kher in 1985. Sikander Kher, Kirron’s son from her first marriage to Gautam Berry, has grown close to Anupam, though Anupam now reflects on missing out on certain aspects of fatherhood.
