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Denzil Smith

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Denzil Smith

Denzil Leonard Smith (born 6 November 1960) is an Indian film and stage actor and producer. Born to Anglo-Indian parents in Mumbai, he is known for his stage and screen roles as a character actor. Smith has acted in over 50 plays and 60 films.

His film credits include Tenet (2020), Viceroy's House (2017), Brahman Naman (2016), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), The Lunchbox (2013), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), Frozen (2007) and Paap (2003).

His notable television roles include Netflix's Delhi Crime (2019), ITV's Beecham House (2019), Amazon Prime's sitcom Mind the Malhotras (2019) and P.O.W. - Bandi Yuddh Ke (2016–2017) on Star Plus.

He has a long-standing association with both Motley Productions for Waiting for Godot and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial, and PrimeTime Theatre for Guahar, August: Osage County and Sammy. Notable international productions include Merchants of Bollywood (2007–2010) and Life of Buddha (2014).

Smith was born into an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai, Maharashtra to Benjamin John Smith and Kathleen (Katsy) Maude Shepherd. He has an older sister Cheryl Roy-Smith, and younger brother Lionel Smith. Smith's father was a civil servant with the Government of India, and possessed a deep love for music and the arts. It was through him that Denzil was first exposed to music and theatre.

Smith's father played the accordion, piano, violin and ukulele. A talented singer, Benjamin was granted a leave of absence to represent India as part of the classical cappella Paranjoti Academy Choir for an extended tour of Europe in the 1960s. His father died suddenly when Smith was 11.

Smith completed his schooling at St Andrews in Bandra, and studied English literature at the University of Mumbai.

Smith began his professional career as a film executive under Indian adman and actor, Alyque Padamsee, who was then CEO of the advertising agency Lintas. In 1988, Smith quit his corporate career to focus on stage acting. He trained in voice at the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai, and was guided by Dr. Ashok Ranade and Pratap Sharma.

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