Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Brassic star discusses role on "massively fun" comedy series

by LAUREN CODLING

THE star of a new Sky One comedy featuring a group of working-class northern men has revealed his experiences working on the set, including filming in a brothel.


Based in Lancashire, Brassic follows a group of friends who deal in similar shady lines of work. They are constantly finding unconventional ways to get by – whether by stealing Shetland ponies or plotting scams in sewer canals.

Parth Thakerar plays the role of JJ, described as a “sharp entrepreneur” with a money spinning sideline in stolen cars. His role in the gang is pivotal, he said – if the gang ever need a vehicle to help out with their dodgy dealings, JJ can offer the resources.

Speaking to Eastern Eye, Thakerar revealed the role was like nothing he had ever worked on previously.

“Every day on set, it would be something different,” he said. “I would be saying things that I never thought I’d be saying in my life, and getting up to stuff on set that I didn’t know people were capable of doing, yet here we were.”

“Whether it was literally getting into a sewer to film a couple of shots or filming in a brothel (parts of the show were shot in an actual sex dungeon in Manchester), it was a massively fun experience.”

Brassic’s main character Vinnie – played by co-creator Joe Gilgun – is the unofficial leader of the group. Always living in an unorthodox manner, Vinnie had a troubled childhood and blew his first safe at seven years old.  He is also open about his struggles with his bipolar disorder. Gilgun, who loosely based the show on his teen years growing up in the countryside near Manchester, also battles with the illness.

The Misfits star was keen to reveal the truths behind the condition, as he said he “hated the typical, television version of what bipolar is”.

“What I’m trying to say is with the bipolar [situation], don’t let the assumption be that because someone suffers with mental health, they’re not capable of doing what a ‘normal person’ could do,” Gilgun explained.

Thakerar has praised Gilgun for his honesty, adding his belief that seeing mental health portrayed on screen was vital for audiences.

“It is extremely important that stuff like this puts a light upon it on television. Having someone like Joe, who is very happy and open to talk about it and how he deals with it, is great,” he explained. "Not only does it educate audiences, but it educated us when we were working with him. It has been nothing but a great experience.”

The show’s northern setting was key to the narrative, with Thakerar saying the storyline could not have worked anywhere else.

“When you hear about Joe’s life and the characters he describes, it can only be set in one place,” he said. It was also nice to see a show set in northern, working-class England, in contrast to larger southern cities, Thakerar, who hails from Northolt, in west London, added.

Looking back at his childhood, the actor recalled his “classic Asian upbringing”, saying he grew up watching Bollywood films and Indian television series. Bollywood was a big passion for him, he admitted, and he aspired to star in the films he watched so often. It was only as he grew older that he realised his ambitions lay elsewhere.

When Thakerar was a teenager, his sister took him to his first play, and his appetite grew for theatre. After graduating from the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2013, he began to carve out a career in theatre, television and film.

He has appeared in Midsomer MurdersDoc Martin and his latest role in Gangs of London, a new Sky Atlantic 10-part series, is due to air next April.

However, his role in Brassic will always be a special experience, Thakerar explained. It is evident that he and the other cast members formed a genuine friendship, one which he said he hopes will manifest truthfully on screen.

“All I want is for people to watch the show and be like ‘yeah, I want them to be my friends and to hang out with them,” he said. “That is probably the most important part of Brassic – friendship”.

Brassic is showing on Sky One and NOW TV next Thursday (22) at 10pm.

All pictures courtesy of Sky/NOW TV

More For You

Trump CEOs

Sitting at the centre of a long table, Trump was flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on one side, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other. (Photo: Getty Images)

At White House dinner, Trump lauds Nadella, Pichai

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump praised Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai during a White House dinner with top technology executives on Thursday. The two Indian-American leaders thanked him for his leadership and for policies in the technology and AI sectors.

Trump described the gathering as a “high IQ group,” calling the executives “the most brilliant people.” Sitting at the centre of a long table, Trump was flanked by First Lady Melania Trump and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on one side, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on the other. Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook sat across from him, while Nadella was seated toward one end of the table.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer set for first India visit in October with focus on technology

Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer (R) and India's prime minister Narendra Modi (L) speak as they walk in the gardens of Chequers, in Aylesbury, England, on July 24, 2025. (Photo by KIN CHEUNG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Starmer set for first India visit in October with focus on technology

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer is expected to make his first visit to India in early October, with technology and trade ties at the centre of his programme. He is scheduled to join Indian prime minister Narendra Modi at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2025 in Mumbai, officials indicated on Tuesday (9).

The event, which runs from October 7 to 9 at the Jio World Centre, is organised by the Payments Council of India, the National Payments Corporation of India and the Fintech Convergence Council. It is promoted as the world’s largest conference in the sector and is supported by several Indian ministries and regulators, including the Reserve Bank of India and the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

Keep ReadingShow less
Khalistan supporters

Demonstrators gather in support of Khalistan during a Sikh rally outside the Consulate General of India, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on September 25, 2023.

Getty Images

Ottawa report says Khalistani extremist groups get financial backing in Canada

AT LEAST two Khalistani extremist groups have received financial support from within Canada, according to a new Canadian government report on terror financing.

The report, titled 2025 Assessment of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Risks in Canada, named Babbar Khalsa International and the International Sikh Youth Federation as the groups receiving such support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bridget Phillipson

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson leaves following a cabinet meeting at Downing Street on September 9, 2025.

Getty Images

Bridget Phillipson joins race for Labour deputy leader

EDUCATION SECRETARY Bridget Phillipson has announced her candidacy for Labour’s deputy leader, becoming the most senior figure to enter the contest so far.

Clapham and Brixton Hill MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy is the only other declared candidate in the race to replace Angela Rayner.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport

Passengers walk back to the reopened terminal after emergency services responded to what they called a 'possible hazardous materials incident' at Terminal 4 of Heathrow Airport.

Reuters

Heathrow’s Terminal 4 reopens after hazardous materials alert

HEATHROW Airport has reopened Terminal 4 after it was evacuated on Monday evening following what authorities described as a "possible hazardous materials incident."

The airport said the terminal was declared safe and apologised for the disruption. In a post on X, Heathrow said it was "doing everything we can" to make sure flights depart as planned.

Keep ReadingShow less