# Anoop Kumar (অনূপ কুমার)
**Anoop Kumar** (অনূপ কুমার; born Kalyan Kumar Ganguly, কল্যাণ কুমার গাঙ্গুলী) was an Indian actor and producer who worked in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) from 1950 to the mid-1990s, appearing in more than 60 films largely in supporting and comic roles. He was the middle brother of the actor [Ashok Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/ashok-kumar) and the singer-actor [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar), and he is best remembered for the comedy *Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi* (1958), in which all three brothers appeared.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Kalyan Kumar Ganguly, born 24 March 1926 in Khandwa, Central Provinces and Berar (now Madhya Pradesh)[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) |
| Death | 20 September 1997 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, aged 71[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474780/bio/) |
| Family | Son of lawyer Kunjalal Ganguly (Gangopadhyay) and Gouri Devi; brother of Ashok Kumar, Sati Devi, and Kishore Kumar[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) |
| Career span | 1950 to 1995, in more than 60 films, largely supporting roles[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) |
| Signature film | *Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi* (1958), with Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar, and Madhubala[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) |
| Award nomination | Filmfare Award nomination for Best Comic Actor for *Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi* (1982)[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) |
| Other work | Television serials including *Talaash* and *Bhim Bhavani*[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) |
## Early life and family
Anoop Kumar was born into a Bengali family in Khandwa, in the Central Provinces and Berar of British India. His father, Kunjalal Ganguly, was a lawyer; his mother, Gouri Devi, came from a wealthy family. He was the second-youngest of four siblings: Ashok Kumar and Sati Devi were his elder siblings, and Kishore Kumar was the youngest.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) In his twenties he moved from Khandwa to Bombay at Ashok Kumar's urging and entered the film industry.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
Some reference sources give different birth details. BookMyShow lists his birth as 9 January 1925 in [Bhagalpur](https://www.edgepedia.org/bhagalpur), Bihar,[3](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/anoop-kumar/4483) and a WikiBio profile gives 9 January 1926 in Khandwa.[4](https://wikibio.in/anoop-kumar-ganguly/) The 24 March 1926 date in Khandwa is the one given by the Cinemaazi film encyclopedia and IMDb.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474780/bio/)
## Film career
His early films included a lead role in Jagat Pictures' drama *Gauna* (1950), opposite [Usha Kiran](https://www.edgepedia.org/usha-kiran) and directed by Amiya Chakrabarty, followed by *Vidyasagar* (1952), *Firdaus* (1953), and *Samaj* (1954).[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
**Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi.** The 1958 musical comedy *Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi*, directed by Satyen Bose, starred [Madhubala](https://www.edgepedia.org/madhubala) alongside the three Ganguly brothers. Anoop Kumar played Jagmohan "Jaggu" Sharma, the middle of three brothers who run a garage; the eldest (Ashok Kumar) is a misogynist who forbids his younger brothers from marrying, and the youngest (Kishore Kumar) is the romantic lead.[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/anup_kumar) • [6](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf) The film was a major commercial success, became the best-known work of both Bose and the Ganguly brothers, and has since attained classic status.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
**Other roles.** In the 1961 hit *Junglee*, produced and directed by Subodh Mukherjee, he played a character named Jeevan.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) In Amiya Chakrabarty's romantic comedy *Dekh Kabira Roya* (1957) he played Mohan, one of three struggling artists, a singer, a painter, and a writer, who share a house.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) Through the 1960s and 1970s he appeared in supporting roles in films including *Kashmir Ki Kali* (1964), *Raat Aur Din* (1967), *Amar Prem* (1972), *Victoria No. 203* (1972), *Chori Mera Kaam* (1975), and *Mrigayaa* (1977).[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) In *Chori Mera Kaam* (1975) all three Ganguly brothers appeared together, with Ashok Kumar in the lead, Kishore Kumar singing playback, and Anoop Kumar playing a police constable.[7](https://app.reglegbrief.com/person/ashok-kumar)
He reunited with his brothers in *Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi* (1982), directed by Kishore Kumar, a sequel of sorts to *Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi* in which the three brothers played hotel owners whose guests are frightened by ghosts. His performance earned him a Filmfare Award nomination for Best Comic Actor.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) He continued acting into the 1990s, with later credits including *Parivaar* (1987), *Maut Ki Sazaa* (1991), *Aasoo Bane Angaarey* (1993), and *Rock Dancer* (1995).[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
Like his brothers, he was known for his singing ability and lent his voice to a few films.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) His television work included the serials *Talaash* and *Bhim Bhavani*.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
## Confusion with Anup Kumar
Anoop Kumar is frequently mistaken for the Bengali film actor Anup Kumar (17 June 1930 to 4 September 1998), known for *Palatak* (1963) and the [Satyajit Ray](https://www.edgepedia.org/satyajit-ray) television films *Joto Kando Kathmandute* and *Bosepukure Khunkharapi* (1996), because the two names are spelled identically in many contexts. IMDb notes the mix-up explicitly in the trivia for both actors.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474780/bio/) • [8](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1352627/)
## Death
Anoop Kumar died on 20 September 1997 in Mumbai, aged 71, and was survived by four daughters and a son, Arjun Kumar Ganguly.[1](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474780/bio/)
## References
1. [Anoop Kumar Ganguly, Cinemaazi](https://cinemaazi.com/people/anup-kumar-ganguly)
2. [Anoop Kumar Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0474780/bio/)
3. [Anoop Kumar, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/anoop-kumar/4483)
4. [Anoop Kumar Ganguly Wiki, WikiBio](https://wikibio.in/anoop-kumar-ganguly/)
5. [Anoop Kumar Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/anup_kumar)
6. [Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema (pdf), indiancine.ma](https://indiancine.ma/documents/DSP/Encyclopedia%20of%20Indian%20Cinema.pdf)
7. [Ashok Kumar, RLB-Tube](https://app.reglegbrief.com/person/ashok-kumar)
8. [Anup Kumar (1930-1998), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1352627/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Hindi film actors, 1930s–1960s*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license