Dhirendra was born in an English, French, Gujarati, Hindi, and Swahili speaking home in Dar-es-Salaam Tanzania to Indian parents of Gujarati descent, respectively born in India and present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. Following an extensive career, he left acting and the UK in 1997 owing to a 'glass ceiling', to pursue his other love for food and wine moving to Windsor Ontario, managing the Mason-Girardot Alan Manor restaurant pioneering the slow food movement, until he was 'discovered' 5 years later the by CBC Television and asked to play the role of Hakeem Jinnah in the ground-breaking 'Jinnah on Crime Mysteries'.