Meera Syal: Last News

EXCLUSIVE: The second season of We Are Lady Parts has dropped to acclaim on both sides of the pond and now Nida Manzoor, its creator, writer and director is back at her laptop working up projects including an ‘alt Bond’ spy movie.

Naman Ramachandran A raft of British celebrities from Black, Asian and other mixed heritage backgrounds are encouraging ethnic minorities to take up the COVID-19 vaccine in a video campaign.The campaign, which is led by “Citizen Khan” co-creator and actor Adil Ray, was first revealed by the actor online in January. It dispels myths about the vaccine as it has emerged in recent days that those from Black and mixed heritage backgrounds are more sceptical of the jab and aren’t getting vaccinated at the same levels.The video features historian and presenter David Olusoga, Olympian Denise Lewis, “Yesterday” actors Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar, singer Beverley Knight, comedian Romesh Ranganathan and cricketer Moeen Ali, among others.

Brown Baby (out from 20 Jan)Writer Nikesh Shukla, editor of the bestselling Good Immigrant anthology among other projects, hosts this new series about raising children “with joy and wonder” in difficult times, ahead of the release of his own family-themed memoir. Guests include singer Jay Sean, primetime cookery queen Nadiya Hussain, comedian Josie Long and TV legend Meera Syal, who reflects on her own upbringing as the daughter of Punjab-born parents who embraced her creativity, and how her children’s lives have been both similar and different to her own.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. actor Meera Syal (“Yesterday”) and India’s Abhay Deol (“Chopsticks”) have joined the cast of Disney Channel Original Movie “Spin,” directed by Manjari Makijany (“Desert Dolphin”).“Spin” follows an Indian-American teen who learns she has a passion for creating DJ mixes that blend the textures of her Indian heritage and the world around her.

More than 3,500 workers in the British film and TV industry have signed an open letter calling for senior figures and decision makers to make several "strategic commitments" to reshape the landscape of the sector and "tackle structural and systemic racism." The letter comes a week after the Black Film Collective issued a similar statement to Hollywood, with its creators — including producer Nisha Parti (The Boy With the Top Knot), actor-writer Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me), actor Indira Varma (Patrick Melrose), playwright Tanika Gupta, actor-director Pooja Ghai and presenter Anita Rani — having revised it for the U.K., where they say the industry suffers from "same lack of diverse representation in front of and behind the camera."

Manori Ravindran International EditorMore than 3,000 members of the U.K.’s film and TV industry have signed an open letter calling on gatekeepers to make a number of “strategic commitments” to reshape the landscape.Organizers of the letter — which comes just one week after the U.S. Black Film Collective issued a similar open letter to Hollywood — include “The Boy with the Topknot” producer Nisha Parti, actor and writer Meera Syal, “Never Have I Ever” actor Indira Varma, playwright Tanka Gupta, actor-director Pooja Ghai and presenter Anita Rani.The group credits the U.S.