BBC DRAMA "DIANA & I" EXPLORES THE DEPTH OF FEELING WHEN PRINCESS DIED

By Reena Kumar

IT IS twenty years since Princess Diana’s death shocked the nation to its core and plunged it into a deep state of mourning.

For her sons, life would never be the same again, but it also had a profound effect on the lives of ordinary people.

This is explored in a new BBC drama set across the week that followed her tragic death on August 31 1997.

Diana & I delves into the impact her passing had on society and the lives of four characters who lead parallel lives that are at times interlinked.

Kiran Sonia Sawar who appeared in the award nominated television drama Murdered by My Father, plays Yasmin, a woman from Bradford who is trapped in an unhappy marriage.

“Yasmin has a daughter and is unhappy in her marriage, there is a breakdown in communication and her story is about self-discovery. Princess Diana’s death is a catalyst for the journey,” Sawar told Eastern Eye.

“It’s a beautiful representation of ordinary people living their lives, I think people will relate to it in a positive way. It (the role) was quite hard work, but the writing is beautiful.”

The drama, which was written by acclaimed writer and director Jeremy Brock (The Last King Of Scotland), follows a mother, a son, a wife and a boyfriend and explores the role that chance plays in life.

It stars Tamsin Greig, Nico Mirallegro, Laurie Davidson, alongside Neil Morrissey, Asif Khan and Roshan Seth.

Sawar, who scooped an Eastern Eye ACTA (Arts, Culture and Theatre Award) last year, for her role in Murdered by My Father, was living in Australia at the time of the princess’ death, but remembers her mother being very moved by it.

The Oxford School of Drama graduate was born and raised in Glasgow but lived in Australia for ten years.

She told Eastern Eye that her television roles have been specific to her ethnicity, but have involved stories she feels strongly about telling.

Sawar played Salma in the gritty Murdered by My Father, which dramatises the true-life honour killing of an Asian teenager who falls in love with a man her family disapprove of.

Adeel Akhtar, who played Salma’s father Shahzad, scooped a prestigious BAFTA award for his performance earlier this year.

The Glaswegian actress, who now lives in London, said she was keen to play characters that inform audiences about her heritage, but believes theatre has more scope to cast colour blind roles.

She believes there should be more opportunities for Asian actors but the onus should be on writers and producers to create diverse characters.

Recently, she has been filming a series for Fox in London and Morocco, playing journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s young mother in The Boy with the Topknot, based on the writer’s acclaimed memoirs.

Diana & I will air at 9pm on Monday September 4 on BBC Two.

Main feature image (c) BBC, Big Talk - Photographer: Ben Blackall