Kher made his acting debut in the 1982 Hindi movie Aagman. Then in 1984 came Saaransh, where he played a late-age retired person having lost his son and never looked back since then. He hosted TV shows such as Say Na Something To Anupam Uncle and Sawaal Dus Crore Ka. He has mainly done comic roles but has done many villain roles for which he got critical acclaim such as Karma (1986) where he played terrorist Dr. Dang. He was applauded for his performance in the film Daddy (1989). Considered one of his best performances, he received the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance. Kher is a frequent winner in the Comedian category.