A beloved character from NBC’s New Amsterdam will not be returning for season three. Deadline reports actor Anupam Kher (Hotel Mumbai, Saaransh) has exited the medical drama. Kher had portrayed the Head of Neurology, Dr. Vijay Kapoor, since the series’ inception.
According to Deadline, Kher’s announcement followed a report by The Hindustan Times that his wife, actress Kirron Kher (Dostana, Veer-Zaara) was recently diagnosed with a form of blood cancer.
“Kirron has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer,” Kher stated via Deadline. “She is currently undergoing treatment and we are sure she will come out of this stronger than before. We are very blessed that she is being looked after by phenomenal set of doctors,” Kher continued via Deadline.
The show’s current season opened with faculty and staff of the prestigious New York City hospital dealing with the very real consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kher’s character became one of the faculty members infected with the virus. Subsequently hospitalized, he underwent emergency open-heart surgery which spurred the return of cardiologist Floyd Reyonalds played by Jocko Sims (The Last Ship, Crash). In a stunning reveal, Tuesday’s episode closed with a recuperating Kapoor notifying his colleagues of his immediate resignation.
New Amsterdam stars Ryan Eggold (90210, The Blacklist) as Dr. Max Goodwin, a benevolent physician who seeks to reform the healthcare system as the hospital’s new medical director. His co-stars include Janet Montgomery (Salem, This Is Us) as ED physician Lauren Bloom; Freema Agyeman (Sense8, Doctor Who) as oncologist Helen Sharpe; and, Tyler Labine (Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil, Deadbeat) as psychiatrist Iggy Frome.
According to Deadline, the series is based on the memoir Twelve Patients: Life and Death at Bellevue Hospital by Eric Manheimer. The book traces Manheimer’s 15 years as a medical director. The series was created by David Schulner (The Oaks, Do No Harm) who executive produces with Peter Horton (The Cure, Thirtysomething), Michael Slovis (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul), David Foster (House, Scorpion), Aaron Ginsburg (The 100, The Finder), and Shaun Cassidy (Invasion, Cold Case). The series is a Universal Television production in collaboration with Pico Creek Productions and imprint, Mount Moriah.