Meera Syal is a writer, novelist and performer best known for her screenplay for the film Bhaji on the Beach (nominated for BAFTA Alex Korda Award for Best British Film, winner of Jury Award and Youth Jury Award at Locarno Film Festival), the Olivier nominated musical Bombay Dreams and as co-creator/performer/writer in iconic comedy Goodness Gracious Me (BAFTA nominated, winner of two British Comedy Awards and RTS Best Comedy).
Her first ever screenplay was for the BBC’s Screen 2 strand, My Sister Wife (winner of RIMA Award for Best Screenpla, directed by Lesley Manning). Her first novel Anita and Me, (winner of Betty Trask Award) is now on the school curriculum. She later co-produced and wrote the screenplay for the BBC/Icon funded feature film of the book, which was released in 2002. She also adapted her second novel, Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee for a three-part BBC1 series (winner of RIMA Award for Best TV Drama 2006). In 2018, Meera was commissioned by the Old Vic to write and perform Rivers, an extraordinary monologue for the 70th anniversary of the NHS. Her third novel, The House of Hidden Mothers was optioned by Drama Republic and developed for ITV.
Meera’s six-part chat show Gossip and Goddesses with Granny Kumar started on BBC Radio 4 in February 2021.
Meera was honoured with the BAFTA fellowship at the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards.
Other awards include, the Women In Film and Television Award for Creative Innovation in 2013, and in 2015, a CBE for her contribution to Literature And Drama.
Meera Syal is represented by Frances Arnold