Denzil Smith

Some Lesser Known Facts About Denzil Smith

• Does Cheran smoke?: Yes

• Does Cheran drink alcohol?: Yes

• Denzil Smith was born into an Anglo-Indian Family. His father died when he was eleven years old.

  

• Denzil Smith’s father was quite passionate about music. His father was not only a singer but also played various instruments like accordion, violin, piano and ukelele. Denzil inherited the love for art, music, and theatre from his father. His father sang with Paranjyoti Chorus and was also an amateur theatre artist. Denzil often used to accompany his father to his music and play rehearsals; and was fascinated when his father performed in a play called “The Monkeys Paw.”

• He is a post-graduate in English Literature. Smith received vocal training from the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Mumbai.

• When Smith was in college, he used to watch 28 Hollywood Films in a month.

• He started acting play when he was still in school. He acted in his first play, “Son of Man” by Dennis Potter, was when was 15-year-old. Before he became an actor, Smith worked in an advertising company. To establish himself as an actor, he quit his job and started working as a film executive under actor, Alyque Padamsee.

  

• He made his debut in theatre with the play “Man Friday” by Adrian Mitchell. Smith came into the spotlight with Pearl Padamsee’s play “Les Liaisons Dangereuse” where he worked with Ratna Pathak and Naseeruddin Shah.

• After his appearance in the aforesaid play, he joined Naseeruddin Shah’s theatre group. He was also a part of Lilette Dubey’s theatre group. Smith has also appeared in the musical production “The Merchants of Bollywood” and the dance musical “Taj Express.”

•  Apart from acting in theatre plays, Denzil has organized plays at “Celebrate Bandra.” Denzil was also a part of “Joseph & The Technicolor Dreamcoat,” directed by Carl Mendes which was a huge hit in Bombay in 1977-78.

  

• One of the films which helped shape his acting career was the 2002-release “Mango Souffle.” However, his debut was in the year 2001 with the film “Pyaar, Ishq Aur Mohabbat.” Smith also appeared in Paap (2003) and Frozen (2007).

  

• Denzil Smith has also worked in a number of independent films like Shobhayatra (2004), The Memsahib (2006), Mumbai Salsa (2007), The Lunchbox (2013), etc. In 2019, he appeared in “Photograph” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

  

• Besides appearing in a number of Bollywood projects, Smith has also worked in many Hollywood Films like “One Night With The King” (2007), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015), and “Brahman Naman” (2016). One of his most critical Hollywood performances has been the 2017-release “Viceroy’s House” in which he played the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

  

• For his role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in “Viceroy’s House,” he shed 14 and a half Kg in 40 days.

• Denzil has appeared in many Indian as well as International TV Serials. He acted in “The Sword Of Tipu Sultan” (1990), “Time Bomb 9/11” (2005), “Hansa: A Love Story,” “Rishtey,” “CID,” Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin” among others. He has appeared in web-series as well like “Made in Heaven” (2019), “Delhi Crime” (2019), & “Mind The Malhotras” (2019).

  

• Hollywood actor Ben Kingsley congratulated him for his acting in the play “Letters to A Daughter from Prison.”

• Denzil often lends his voice for documentaries, radio shows, and advertisements. He has usually been roped in for dubbing various English movies in the Hindi Language. In addition, he has also done quite a few voiceovers.

• It is only because of Denzil Smith’s love for Jazz Music that he is seen as a host of various music festivals and other events. Smith is credited to hosting jazz tribute concerts on the occasion of International Jazz Day. He is also associated with various charities.

• Besides being a full-time theatre, voice-over artist, and a film-actor, Denzil also manages his production house- “Stagesmith Productions,” which he founded in the year 2006.

• Smith’s character of ‘Lucky’ in Beckett’s “Waiting For Godot” is his most memorable character.

• He considers actor Naseeruddin Shah his guru and mentor.

• His plays are not only staged in India but also in North America, UK and Europe, South-East Asia, and Australia.

• He is quite good friends with theatre personality- Arif Zakaria.

  

• Because of his name and looks, he has often been offered the role of an English person in Hindi Films but he turns them down.

• He considers theatre therapeutic for him.

• He is inspired by Jack Nicholson, Lawrence Olivier, Woody Allen, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino.

• Denzil is also well-versed in Urdu, Konkani, and Marathi.

• Besides acting, he can also play guitar, sing, and dance (ballroom & jive).