IN THE REALM of British Asian comedy and drama, few partnerships have proven as influential and enduring as that of Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar. This formidable husband-and-wife duo has not only entertained audiences for decades but also fundamentally transformed British cultural landscape through their pioneering work in television, film, and literature.
Milli Bhatia, a rising theatre director and Syal’s daughter from her first marriage to journalist Shekhar Bhatia, represents a new generation of creatives reshaping British storytelling.
Over the past year, all three have continued to push creative boundaries.
A writer, actor, and comedian, Syal has brought her distinctive voice to the UK’s creative arts across multiple artistic genres over four decades, with over 140 credits and counting.
Best known for her work on Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No. 42, and her novels, Anita and Me (1996), which she calls “semi-autobiographical”, and Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee (1999), her ability to blend humour with social commentary has made her a unique voice in British storytelling, addressing themes of identity, culture, and belonging with wit and insight.
In 2023, Syal received the BAFTA Fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed by the organisation upon an individual in recognition of an “outstanding and exceptional contribution” to film, games or television.
As part of the Fellowship, Syal has worked directly with the arts charity in the past year to inspire and nurture aspiring creatives through BAFTA’s year-round learning, inclusion and talent programmes.
“I am particularly delighted that [the] award is twinned with opportunities to mentor and support participants in BAFTA’s learning programme,” she has commented. “I am grateful for the chance to pay forward the opportunities and experiences I have been lucky enough to have over my career.”
Alongside her MBE and CBE awards, Syal’s work has scored multiple BAFTA nominations and wins, and features on school and university syllabuses. In 2017, Syal was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Born in 1961 to Punjabi parents who immigrated from New Delhi, Syal grew up in Essington, Staffordshire - a small Midlands mining village where her family was the only Asian household, an experience that later inspired her novel Anita and Me.
Bhaskar’s journey began above a laundromat in Hounslow, where his immigrant parents, who came to the UK after the partition of India, worked tirelessly.
A marketing graduate turned comedian, he found his voice in The Secret Asians, a musical comedy duo – with his college friend Nitin Sawhney – that caught the attention of the BBC. His big break came with Goodness Gracious Me, a show that shattered stereotypes and redefined British Asian comedy.
Syal and Bhaskar’s professional collaboration began with Goodness Gracious Me, where she played his grandmother. The irony wasn’t lost on them – Syal, the “granny,” would later become his wife. Their chemistry was undeniable, both on and off-screen. They married in 2005 in an intimate ceremony in Lichfield, Staffordshire, and welcomed their son, Shaan, later that year.
Their partnership extended beyond marriage. They starred together in The Kumars at No. 42, a spoof chat show that became a cultural phenomenon, even earning a fan in Queen Elizabeth II. In 2019, they played a married couple in the film Yesterday.
While Bhaskar remains best known for his comedic work, his performance in ITV’s hit crime drama Unforgotten has won him significant acclaim. The sixth series of the show stared airing in February this year, with 61-year-old Bhasker returning fit and fine to play the role of DI Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan.
His documentary India with Sanjeev Bhaskar took him on an emotional journey to his ancestral home in Pakistan, bridging personal and political histories.
Meanwhile, Syal, 63, also recently appeared in a crime series, Mrs Sidhu Investigates.
What makes them powerful isn’t just their individual achievements but their ability to balance each other. “She’s just much better than me at everything,” Sanjeev once quipped. Yet, their secret lies in valuing their partnership over individual careers. They’ve tag-teamed work and parenting, ensuring one was always home for their children.
Bhatia is an associate artist at Synergy Theatre Project, which creates ground-breaking work across theatre and the criminal justice system, working with prisoners, ex-prisoners, young offenders, and young people at risk of offending.
Previously she was an associate director at The Royal Court Theatre and resident assistant director at Birmingham Rep. She is a two-time Olivier Award nominee, for her productions of seven methods of killing kylie jenner and Blue Mist, both premiered at The Royal Court Theatre.
Bhatia's work consistently reflects her commitment to social advocacy, giving theatrical voice to marginalised groups, and challenging established power dynamics. She draws no distinction between her role as a theatremaker and an activist.
“I’m an activist who makes theatre. I’m an activist and a director and there’s a lot of crossover. I don’t see them as separate things in my life,” she has said.
Bhatia’s approach to storytelling reflects a deep understanding of cultural identity and social issues, something she attributes to growing up in a family deeply rooted in the arts. “My mum took me to the theatre, my dad took me to the football,” she has said.
As Syal’s daughter, she has inherited a passion for telling authentic stories, but she has forged her own unique path in the industry, establishing herself as a director with a distinct artistic vision.
