He was born in Pakistan, the youngest son of an eye surgeon who moved to London to join Moorfields Eye Hospital. Art determined early on that he was English and never learned to speak Urdu or Hindi. He studied at Guildhall Drama School and while there got a part as a Buddist monk in a Peter Hall directed film and acted at the Old Vic and the Royal Shakespeare Company. He shot to fame playing an English public school educated Indian in 'The Jewel in the Crown'. He married the actress Gina Rowe whom he met at drama school and they have two daughters, Jessica and Keira.