In "New Amsterdam" Season 3, Dr. Vijay Kapoor (Anupam Kher) contracted COVID-19, with much of the early part of the season revolving around his illness and the attempts by the hospital staff to ensure he survives and regains his health. However, in "The Legend of Howie Cournemeyer," the season's seventh episode which aired April 13, the staff learn that Dr. Kapoor will not be returning to New Amsterdam hospital at all, instead opting to turn in his resignation. The character's exit also signaled the end of Kher's time on the show.
Anupam Kher's wife, Kirron Kher, is a well-known performer and politician in her own right. On April 1, 2021, Anupam Kher revealed on Twitter that his wife had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which is also known as Kahler's disease. Multiple myeloma is a rare type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells, a type of white blood cell found in bone marrow, according to the Mayo Clinic. Normal, healthy plasma cells are responsible for creating antibodies and helping the human body fight off infections. In patients with multiple myeloma, the cancerous plasma cells collect in the bone marrow and displace the healthy blood cells; instead of making the beneficial antibodies they're supposed to form, the cells produce abnormal proteins that often cause complications in normal function. According to the American Cancer Society, multiple myeloma is a "relatively uncommon cancer." "In the United States, the lifetime risk of getting multiple myeloma is 1 in 132 (0.76%)."
"She is currently undergoing treatment and we are sure she will come out of this stronger than before," Anupam Kher's statement — made in conjunction with his son, Sikandar — reads in part. "We are very blessed that she is being looked after by a phenomenal set of doctors. She's always been a fight and takes things head on."
