British-Indian star Varada Sethu has been awarded Best Actress (Film, TV & Drama) at the Eastern Eye Art, Culture and Theatre Awards (ACTAs) 2025 for her powerful performance as Belinda Chandra, companion to the Fifteenth Doctor (played by Ncuti Gatwa) in the hit BBC series Doctor Who. Her portrayal in Series 15 was widely praised for its emotional depth, commanding presence, and the bold cultural representation it brought to one of television’s most iconic franchises. Sethu had previously appeared as Mundy Flynn in the Series 14 episode "Boom", before returning as a full-time companion.
Born in Kerala, India, alongside her twin sister Abhaya, Varada Sethu was raised in Benton, Tyne and Wear, in the North East of England. Her parents, both doctors, encouraged her academic and artistic ambitions. She attended Dame Allan’s Schools and joined the National Youth Theatre, where her passion for acting began to take shape. During her final year of sixth form, she was crowned Miss Newcastle in 2010.
Sethu initially embarked on a degree in veterinary medicine at the University of Bristol before switching to physiology. Alongside her academic studies, she trained in the classical Indian dance forms Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam from a young age. Determined to pursue acting professionally, she enrolled at the Identity School of Acting in London, laying the foundation for her career in film and television.
She made her screen debut in 2010 in the short film Impressions, followed by key roles in Sket (2011), English: An Autumn in London (2012), and the BBC’s Doctors (2015). Sethu’s versatility saw her take on diverse roles, from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2016) to appearances in Now You See Me 2 and New Blood the same year.
Her career gained further momentum with parts in Doctor Foster (2017), and a standout performance as DS Mishal Ali in the BBC’s apocalyptic crime drama Hard Sun (2018). In 2019, she became a series regular in Strike Back: Revolution, portraying Lance Corporal Manisha Chetri. In 2022, she made a global impact as the rebel Cinta Kaz in the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor.
With her ACTA 2025 win, Varada Sethu continues to break barriers, representing both her heritage and the evolving face of British television. Her journey from Newcastle to the Doctor Who universe exemplifies resilience, talent, and the power of representation on screen.
