Anirudh Agarwal was born on December 20, 1949, in Vikas Nagar, near Dehradun, India. He grew up in a large family with nine siblings, including four brothers and five sisters. Anirudh pursued a Bachelor of Science degree at Shri Guru Ram Rai College in Dehradun before moving on to civil engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, graduating in 1974. Initially working as a civil engineer, he was inspired to pursue acting after witnessing the popularity of actors like Jeetendra during film shoots in his hometown. Despite facing health challenges due to a pituitary gland tumor that altered his appearance, he found success in the horror film genre, particularly with the Ramsay brothers. Anirudh is married and has two children, Aseem and Kapila, both of whom have settled in the United States. He currently resides in Bombay with his wife.