Sikandar Kher: From Clap Assistant to Aarya's Breakout Star

Sikandar Kher's story is one of persistence in a film industry that often rewards visibility and timing. Born on October 31, 1982, to Kirron Kher and Gautam Berry, he grew up with a close view of the movie business. Kirron Kher's second marriage to Anupam Kher made the veteran actor his stepfather.

Sikandar studied at The Doon School in Dehradun and developed an early fascination with acting. He wanted to be an actor, but he first chose to understand filmmaking from behind the camera. His mother has previously shared in an interview that he loved learning about films since childhood.

His early film work included assisting Yash Chopra on 'Dil To Pagal Hai', where he gave the clap on set. He then worked as an assistant on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Devdas'. These roles showed him the amount of work that goes into the scenes audiences watch on screen.

He later joined an acting workshop run by Anupam Kher and completed a six-month theatre course at the National School of Drama.

Sikandar's acting debut arrived in 2008 with 'Woodstock Villa', alongside Neha Oberoi and Arjun Bajwa. Although the film did not perform strongly at the box office, his presence was noticed. He then featured in 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se', 'Players' and 'Aurangzeb', where he played a police officer. He also appeared in 'Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive' and 'The Zoya Factor'.

With regular appearances but limited recognition, his career had yet to take off in a major way. His 2017 appearance in the international series 'Sense8' also did not significantly change his trajectory. He has described times when work was scarce. During those periods, he attended auditions, met industry people and asked for work directly. He admitted that his family background helped him reach some people, but he maintained that the responsibility of building a career was his own.

The real shift came with 'Aarya' in 2020. Directed by Ram Madhvani and led by Sushmita Sen, the web series gave Sikandar the role of Daulat, a trusted friend of Aarya. Viewers responded positively to the character, and he returned for the following season.

He also received appreciation for his work in the 2022 film 'Monica O My Darling'. Later, he was seen in the web series 'Tooth Pari' as police officer Karthik.