Beloved British actor Hugh Grant surprised an audience in New Delhi this week by revealing that his father was born in British India, leading him to jokingly claim a possible South Asian heritage.
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Grant made the lighthearted remarks on December 8, 2025, during a promotional event for his new horror film, Heretic.
Addressing the crowd, Grant detailed his family’s history in the subcontinent.
His paternal grandfather, Colonel James Murray Grant, served in the British Army and was stationed in India before the 1947 partition.
His father, James Grant (born in 1929), was born in India, specifically in a “tiny, obscure town in the north” whose exact location the family has never been able to pinpoint.
Grant noted that due to the 1947 Partition, the unknown town could now be located in either modern-day India or Pakistan.
The actor followed the revelation with a mix of self-deprecation and dry British humour, which was met with laughter from the Delhi audience.
“So technically I’m half Indian… or half Pakistani. I never know which. I’m waiting for the DNA test.”
He then quipped that this newfound potential heritage gave him a legitimate claim to play Mahatma Gandhi in a future biopic before joking that his personal love for spicy food “now made sense.”
The revelation of his unexpected family connection added a warm and personal touch to the promotional event, leaving the audience entertained by the star’s characteristic wit.
