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Smriti profiles the stunning and graceful Kirron Kher, an actor-activist-politician. The style diva turns 62, later this week. Read more about her, in the weekly column, exclusively in Different Truths.
Kirron Kher is a popular actress, TV host and a politician. Her dimpled smile, long tresses, and beautiful traditional Indian sarees have a mesmerising effect on the viewers.
Kirron was born as Kiran Singh Thakar on 14th June 1955, in a Jat Sikh family at Chandigarh. Her belief in numerology, made her change her name, from Kiran to Kirron, when she was 48 years of age. She did her schooling and later college from IIPM Chandigarh. After completing college, Kirron married businessman Gautam Berry and had a son from him, Sikandar.
While in Mumbai, Kirron struggled throughout the 80s to make a place for herself in the film industry. During her struggle, she met Anupam Kher, another aspiring, struggling actor whom she knew from her days at Chandigarh University. They worked together in a play, Chandpuri Ki Champabai, and their friendship grew thicker through their struggle and involvement in the same theatre circles. This friendship culminated in marriage in 1985, when Anupam got a break in films with Saransh and both divorced their respective spouses. Kirron’s son, from her first marriage, stayed with her and she took a hiatus from her career to raise him up.
Before her hiatus, Kirron debuted in a Punjabi movie, Asra Pyaar Da, which was a debacle and sank without a trace. She then returned to acting in mid-90s through theatre, with a play, Salgirah, and hosted television shows, Purushkshetra, Kirron Kher Today and Jaagte Raho with Kirron Kher.
Kirron’s comeback film was Sardari Begum, a Shyam Benegal film. She won the Special Jury Award at the 1997 National Film Awards for the film. This award was followed by National Film Award for Best Actress for her Bengali film, Bariwali, directed by Rituparno Ghosh. She continued acting, mainly playing supporting roles, and starred in quite a few successful films, Devdaas, Main Hoon Na, Dostana, Hum Tum, Rang De Basanti, etc. She gave strong performances and won many awards for the same.
Khamosh Pani is another milestone in Kirron’s career. In the film, she plays the role of an abducted woman during the partition of India. Her performance in the movie won her many international awards. She won the Best Actress Award, at 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.
Besides being active in movies and television, Kirron is associated with many social causes such as ‘Ladli’ (a campaign against female infanticide) and Roko Cancer. She joined the BJP, in 2009, and is a sitting MP from Chandigarh, after she won with a whopping majority in the general elections in 2014.
Kirron Kher is a very candid person. She does not hesitate in calling a spade a spade. Her honesty and straightforwardness apply to each relation and aspect of her life. She calls her marriage to Anupam, the marriage of opposites, has beautifully handled the ups and downs of her married life and has beautifully brought up her son, Sikandar, who is an actor too. Her carefree, happy go lucky personality resonates in her performances too. She gives an extra edge to her characters.
Different Truths wishes this style diva a very happy 62nd birthday on 14th June.
©Smriti Maheshwari
Photos and video from the internet.
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