Amit Shah was born in 1981 in North London, England, to parents originally from Kenya and grandparents from Gujarat, India. His father, an accountant, and mother, a health-food shop manageress, instilled in him a strong sense of family values and cultural heritage.
Amit's early life was marked by a lack of interest in acting, until he was cast as the lead in his school play at the age of 16. This experience sparked a passion for the performing arts, and he went on to achieve a 2:1 degree in Drama at Staffordshire University.
After completing his degree, Amit trained at the prestigious London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in West London. His hard work and dedication paid off when he was given permission to graduate early and begin rehearsals for the West-End musical Bombay Dreams, produced by Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber and composed by AR Rahman.
Amit's subsequent career has been marked by a wide range of roles in television and on stage. He has performed at the National Theatre, including a production of The Royal Hunt of the Sun, in which he played a part originally played by Sir Derek Jacobi. He has also worked at the Royal Court Theatre, where he has played lead roles in two different productions.
In addition to his work in theatre, Amit has appeared in a number of television and film productions. He played the role of Rashid in the British comedy film The Infidel, and was cast as Oswald in the Donmar Warehouse production of King Lear, which transferred to New York.
In 2013, Amit was offered his first big studio feature film role, playing Mansur Kadam in The Hundred-Foot Journey, a Dreamworks feature produced by Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, and directed by Lasse Hallström. The film, which is due for release in August 2014, also stars Dame Helen Mirren and Om Puri.
Amit's other recent projects include a role in the Sky1 series The Smoke, which is due to air from February 20, 2014.
