The Birmingham Rep Library Theatre held host to a comedic legend, author and actress Meera Syal, where Sathnam Sanghera held a conversational interview in front of a live audience. A combination of their brilliance and comedic minds made this sell out event an absolute pleasure to watch. In response to Sanghera’s questions, Syal promoted the path of arts and literature as a career and explored her own journey from a young, Asian girl living in a coal mining town on the borders of Cannock, to the established professional she is today. She humorously relayed her childhood experiences of the lack of Asian presence on television, “I remember watching TV thinking how is it possible to get on there? People like me don’t get on TV, not unless they were in footages of monsoon floods being swept away or white people that had been boot polished.” She recalled her childhood passion for reading and her desire to act on stage, and is thankful that she didn’t go into a normal job role such as teaching or medicine. The ‘Bhaji On The Beach’ screenwriter also noted that there is not a lot of British satire on television as before, and would like to see an increase of Asians taking to the genre, “I don’t know why people have started to look more towards historical dramas or futuristic viewings instead of looking at the present, a little light relief on screen is always a beautiful thing, but there seems to be a lack of it.”
Mini Interview with a legend
The fact you were one of the first British Asians to take to the screen is a remarkable thing. How does that make you feel?
I think that it’s inevitable, when you’re one of the first you become a bit of a representative for the culture you’re from, so you could say in some ways it was a bit of a pressure at first, but whether it was in the English class room, or the drama room, I was one of the first Asians to take the course, so I was always aware I was trending on virgin snow. It was hard; there was no path to follow.
What advice would you give to budding writers/actors/screenwriters that are just starting out?
Definitely try to get your work out there, don’t just say it, do it. There are a number of festivals that debut new talent which could give you the recognition you need. If you have a script, send it to a theatre, see what they say, grow from their feedback.
Do you prefer acting to writing?
(laughs) I love both, I could never just be a writer, it’s far too lonely, dressing up and pretending to be someone else is great, but that can also be precarious. I suppose with writing you never feel unemployed, there’s always something you can scribble about. With acting, it’s slightly different, I realised earlier on that I would have to generate my own work, because I was so hard to cast. But the challenges of both are equally rewarding, hence why I can’t separate the two.
Lastly, do you think we’ll get another series of Kumar’s no. 42?
(laughs) ah, now that would be telling! There are talks about it but there are no confirmations at this time. It would be excellent if they did want another one, it is a blast being a part of it.
