Star of Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42, Meera Syal is probably best known as a household name in British comedy. Yet there’s more to her than simply playing it for laughs. As well as being a BAFTA-nominated TV and stage actress, and holding an MBE, Syal is also the author of several novels – including the semi-autobiographical Anita and Me – and is a highly successful journalist and scriptwriter, including for the film Bhaji on the Beach – a film written, directed and acted by an almost entirely South Asian female cast and crew.