- published: 03 Nov 2014
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Roshan Seth is an Indian-born British actor, who appears mainly in British and American films. He is known for his critically acclaimed performances in the films Gandhi, Mississippi Masala, Not Without My Daughter, My Beautiful Laundrette, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Such a Long Journey.
Seth was born in Patna, Bihar, India, the son of a professor of biochemistry. He was educated at The Doon School, then furthered his education doing graduate studies in History at St Stephen's College, and honing his theatrical skills at the Shakespeare Society before moving on to the United Kingdom for further training. He attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art in British repertory theater.
Seth's first break came in Peter Brook's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which toured in 1972. Seth entered feature films in Richard Lester's Juggernaut (1974), but because subsequent filmmakers only wanted Seth for ethnic roles, his career abruptly stalled.
Discouraged, he abandoned acting and returned to India, where he worked as an editor and journalist until the early 1980s, when Richard Attenborough asked Seth to play Jawaharlal Nehru in Gandhi (1982). Seth was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in the film.