Denzil Smith is a multifaceted Anglo-Indian actor, renowned for his versatility in playing a wide range of roles across various mediums. His most notable performances include portraying Jinnah in Viceroy's House (2017),The Lunchbox (2013),The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011),and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015). He has also made a mark in the television world with his appearances in the Emmy award-winning series Delhi Crime (2019) and P.O.W. Bandi Yuddh Ke (2016-17),where he won the Indian Television Academy Award Best Actor in a Negative Role (2017) for his portrayal of Lala.
Based in Mumbai, Smith began his acting career on stage in 1988 with Pearl Padamsee's Les Liaisons Dangereuse, where he had the opportunity to work with the renowned Naseeruddin Shah. He soon became a member of Shah's Motley Productions and went on to work extensively with Lilette Dubey's PrimeTime Theatre in productions such as On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Sammy, August: Osage County, and "Gauhar". These plays toured various cities across India, North America, UK, Europe, South-East Asia, and Australia.
Smith's early film career included the critically acclaimed Mango Soufflé (2002),promoted as "first gay male film from India". He then went on to play a diverse range of characters in films such as Paap (2003),Ek Ajnabee (2005),Braman Naman (2016),Manjha (2017),Jagga Jasoos (2017),Happy Phirr Bhag Jayegi (2018),Badla (2019),and Tenet (2020).
In recent years, Smith has made a successful comeback to the small screen with his role as the Maharaja of Kalyan in the British series Beecham House (2019).
