British-Indian Meera Syal to be awarded BAFTA TV fellowship

IANS

London, May 1

Award-winning British-Indian playwright and actor Meera Syal will be presented with a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) fellowship, the highest accolade bestowed upon an individual in recognition of an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, games or television.

Syal, who starred in hit BBC comedies, ‘Goodness Gracious Me’ and ‘The Kumars at No 42’, will be honoured at the BAFTA Television Awards, which will take place on May 14 at the Royal Festival Hall.

“I am thrilled and honoured to be the recipient of the BAFTA Fellowship. I am particularly delighted that this year’s award is twinned with opportunities to mentor and support participants in BAFTA’s learning programme — where I hope to engage with many talented practitioners and continue working to make BAFTA a truly representative and celebratory place for all our creatives,” Syal said.

As part of the fellowship, she will work directly with the arts charity over the coming year to inspire and nurture aspiring creatives through BAFTA’s year-round learning, inclusion and talent programmes.

She will be seen in two new major series this autumn — ‘The Wheel of Time’ and ‘Mrs Siddhu Investigates’.

Born in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands and educated at Manchester University, Syal read English and Drama, gaining a Double First. IANS