Luke Thompson, Simone Ashley, Charli XCX: A look at British celebrities with Indian roots

India attracts people from around the world, experiencing its rich blend of cultures, traditional Indian cuisine, classical literature, and many other influences. Recently, Bridgerton star Luke Thompson, who plays the role of Benedict Bridgerton in the show Bridgerton, had revealed his Indian roots and described himself as a quarter Indian. Let’s dive deeper and take a look at some British celebrities with Indian connections.

Luke Thompson is one of the most popular English actors, best known for his outstanding role as Benedict in the period drama Bridgerton. Having a strong classical theatre background and his charismatic on-screen persona, he has achieved a massive fan base not only in Hollywood but also in Bollywood as well. Reportedly, the actor also mentioned his Indian connections, revealing that he is a quarter Indian and his grandmother is Indian-English, expressing enthusiasm about his roots and a desire to visit India.

Sir Ben Kingsley is a highly acclaimed and versatile British actor, best known for his Academy Award-winning performance in Gandhi in 1982. Over five decades, Kingsley has consistently delivered diverse roles in Schindler's List, Sexy Beast, and Iron Man 3, achieving global fame along with numerous awards and accolades, including multiple BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Grammy awards. Reportedly, the actor has an Indian connection through his Gujarati father, Rahimtulla Harji Bhanji, who married his English mother, Anna Lyna Mary Goodman.

Merle Oberon was a prolific Anglo-Indian Hollywood actress who gained remembrance for her esteemed roles in The Private Life of Henry VIII, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Wuthering Heights (1939). Showcasing her remarkable and timeless charm, she became one of the first actresses of South Asian descent to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for The Dark Angel. It is believed that Merle Oberon hid her Anglo-Indian roots, claiming to be from Tasmania to avoid racism. Born to a Sri Lankan mother and British father, the actress remained silent about her roots her entire life.

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, professionally known as Charli XCX, is a British singer, songwriter, and actress. Building a massive empire for herself through her consistent, high-energy, and boundary-pushing artistic pop music. With achieving massive popularity, do you know that the British actress has an Indian connection? Reportedly, her mother, Shameera, is from a Gujarati-Muslim family. The artist always expressed her pride over her Indian roots, explaining spending time with her grandparents, listening to Bollywood music, and eating Indian food.

Naveen William Sidney Andrews is a British and American actor who is best known for his portrayal of Sayid Jarrah in the television series Lost, for which he won a Screen Actors Guild Award and also achieved a nomination for a Golden Globe Award, along with a Primetime Emmy Award.

Naveen's parents, Nirmala, a psychologist, and Stanley Andrews, a businessman, are from Kerala and later shifted to the United Kingdom. According to a report by the Global Indian, the artist has expressed his feelings about his visit to India, saying, "I’m a complete fraud. I go to India, and I can’t even speak my own language. They laugh at me."

Simone Ashwini Pillai, known professionally as Simone Ashley, gained massive popularity for her long-running period series, Bridgerton, as Kate Sharma. She has also appeared in several projects, including The Devil Wears Prada, Sex Education, F1, This Tempting Madness, and many more. Reportedly, Simone Ashley has Indian roots within herself because of her Indian parents, Latha and Gunasekharan Pillai.