British actor Hugh Grant charmed audiences with a wave of nostalgia and self-deprecating humour at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2025. In a candid conversation with actor Rahul Khanna, Grant revisited his time filming in Kolkata and made a surprising personal revelation about his connection to India.
From Culture Shock to Cocktail Evenings: Falling for Kolkata
Grant journeyed back to 1988, when he starred in the French film La Nuit Bengali. He joked about the film's modest scale, recalling he once had to pay to watch it himself in a Paris cinema. Before arriving, many warned him about the intense culture shock awaiting him in Kolkata.
"I thoroughly enjoyed being in Calcutta. You know, people said, Hugh, it's going to be a culture shock for you. And, it certainly was. But, I ended up loving it," the actor confessed.
While the French crew embraced a local lifestyle, Grant found himself drawn into the city's elite social circles. He spoke fondly of cocktail parties and visits to the iconic Tollygunge Club for polo. "I didn't know that life still existed anywhere. But, it existed then in Calcutta... I went to dinner parties with people like Moon Moon Sen. Yeah. I had a lovely time. Fantastic," said the Notting Hill star.
Bishu the Driver & Working with Indian Legends
Grant's memories weren't all about high society. He shared one of his funniest anecdotes about his first driver in the city, a boy named Bishu who claimed to be older than his 12-year-old appearance. Grant trusted him with the car, only for Bishu to crash it within weeks and lose his job.
Months later, Grant met Bishu on the street. When asked what he was doing, Bishu cheerfully announced he had found a new job driving a school bus. The story took a hilarious turn on stage when Rahul Khanna quipped that they had tracked Bishu down, and he was in the audience, ready to drive Grant to the airport, prompting a joyful "Hooray!" from the actor.
Professionally, Grant remembered the honour of working with revered Indian actors like Soumitra Chatterjee, Shabana Azmi, and Supriya Pathak during the shoot.
The 'Half Indian' Revelation & A Reluctant Actor's Journey
The conversation took a personal turn when Grant revealed a little-known family fact. While applying for a visa, he needed his father's birth certificate and discovered his father, James Grant, was born in India in 1928. "He's either Indian or Pakistani by birth. So, I guess that makes me half Indian or half Pakistani," Grant stated in his signature dry humour, quickly adding, "Pakistan did not exist in 1928. So, we are definitely claiming him as ours."
Rahul Khanna also probed Grant's accidental entry into acting. Grant admitted he stumbled into the profession at 23 because he was poor, intending to do it for just a year or two before finding a "grown-up job." "And, here I am at 65. I'm still doing it. And, in some ways, I'm ashamed of myself," he joked, showcasing his classic British wit.
When asked about Indian cinema, Grant expressed admiration for the "great genius" Satyajit Ray, whose studio they used in Kolkata. However, he pleaded ignorance about Bollywood, asking Khanna for a essential watchlist. "I need advice on that. You have to tell me. Give me the four films I need to watch," he said, ending the session on a note of cultural curiosity.
