Meera Syal
Acting Born Jun 27, 1961 Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, UK 186 credits
Biography
Meera Syal is a British actress known for her work in various media. Born on 27 June 1961 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, UK, she has appeared in numerous acting credits. Syal has been involved in the creation of several notable projects, including Goodness Gracious Me. She is also known for her portrayal of Ummi in The Kumars at No. 42. Syal's acting career spans multiple genres and formats, with a total of 173 known credits.
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Career overview
Meera Syal is a British actress known for her work in various television shows and films. She rose to prominence as part of the team that created the comedy series Goodness Gracious Me. Syal also gained recognition for her portrayal of Ummi in The Kumars at No. 42, a role that showcased her ability to play Indian characters.
Throughout her acting career, Syal has appeared in numerous television shows and films, with a total of 173 known credits. Her work has been well-received by audiences, contributing to her status as one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities.
Meera Syal's acting career has spanned over five decades, with her birthdate listed as June 27, 1961. She was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, UK. Syal's contributions to British comedy have been acknowledged, with her being listed as one of the fifty funniest acts in British comedy by The Observer in 2003.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Lysistrata
The Revenge ClubTinsel TownUncanny Post MortemNational Theatre at Home: A Tupperware of Ashes
Absolutely Fabulous: Inside OutOur Tiny Islands
The Canterville GhostMrs Sidhu InvestigatesSamosa & SonsThe Smeds and the Smoos
The SandmanRoarThe Devil's HourThe Almond and the Seahorse
The Wheel of TimeWe Are Lady PartsSpinDiana's DecadesBeena and Amrit
Between the CoversCode 404Kate & KojiDragon RiderComedians: Home Alone
YesterdayBack to Life
The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To CancerThe SplitThe Nutcracker and the Four RealmsPatrickTo Provide All People
Richard Osman's House of GamesRivieraOur LivesPaddington 2We Have Been Watching
Doctor StrangeAlice Through the Looking GlassJohn Bishop: In Conversation with...Walliams & FriendBranagh Theatre Live: Romeo and Juliet
The BrinkAbsolutely AnythingNational Theatre Live: Behind the Beautiful ForeversAmar Akbar & TonyBetter Than the Original: The Joy of the Cover Version
The MusketeersDuck Quacks Don't EchoThe KumarsOriginal Comedy ShortsOriginal Comedy Shorts · Writer
BroadchurchCrackanoryPsychobitchesFamily TreeThe Job Lot
HuntedMuch Ado About NothingAll in Good Time
Silk
Tinga Tinga TalesLittle CrackersLittle Crackers · WriterYou Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Horrible HistoriesDesert FlowerGrandpa in My PocketMinderMad Sad & Bad
Beautiful PeopleWhen Were We Funniest?
Phineas and FerbWould I Lie to You?The Alan Titchmarsh ShowKingdomJekyll
The One ShowThe One ShowScoopThe Amazing Mrs PritchardSchool's Out
Doctor Who8 Out of 10 CatsNigellaMonkey TrousersLife Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee
Who Do You Think You Are?New TricksDerren Brown: Trick of the MindKing of Bollywood
QIMurder Investigation Team
Johnny Vaughan TonightThe JuryAll About MeAnita and MeAnita and Me · Writer
The Kumars at No. 42In DeepLinda GreenDouble Income, No Kids YetBedtime
Fat FriendsThe StrangerersForgive and ForgetAladdin: The ITV Pantomime
Holby CityLoose WomenBad GirlsIt's Only TV But I Like It
ParkinsonGoodness Gracious MeGoodness Gracious Me · CreatorThe Mrs Bradley MysteriesGirls' Night
Midsomer MurdersRubyHolding OnKeeping MumA Night in with the Girls
Full Filmography
186 titles- Lysistrata (2026) as Lysistrata (voice)
- The Revenge Club (2025) as Rita
- Tinsel Town (2025) as Cassandra
- Uncanny Post Mortem (2025) as Self
- National Theatre at Home: A Tupperware of Ashes (2025) as Queenie
- Absolutely Fabulous: Inside Out (2024) as Self / Suzy
- Our Tiny Islands (2024) as Self - Narrator
- The Canterville Ghost (2023) as Lucretia Otis (voice)
- Mrs Sidhu Investigates (2023) as Mrs. Sidhu
- Samosa & Sons (2023) as Rai Bahadur
- The Smeds and the Smoos (2023) as Aunt Smed (voice)
- The Sandman (2022) as Ric the Vic
- Roar (2022) as Anu
- The Devil's Hour (2022) as Dr Ruby Bennett
- The Almond and the Seahorse (2022) as Dr. Falmer
- The Wheel of Time (2021) as Verin Mathwin
- We Are Lady Parts (2021) as Sister Squire
- Spin (2021) as Asha
- Diana's Decades (2021) as Narrator
- Beena and Amrit (2021) as Amrit
- Between the Covers (2020) as Self
- Code 404 (2020) as Elizabeth Churchland
- Kate & Koji (2020) as Dr Ayesha Radwan
- Dragon Rider (2020) as Subisha Gulab (voice)
- Comedians: Home Alone (2020) as Reena
- Yesterday (2019) as Sheila Malik
- Back to Life (2019) as Gaia
- The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer (2018) as Self - Guest
- The Split (2018) as Goldie
- The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) as Cook
- Patrick (2018) as Miss Phillips
- To Provide All People (2018) as District Nurse
- The Homestay (2018) as Meera
- Nativity Rocks! (2018) as Nina
- Richard Osman's House of Games (2017) as Self - Contestant
- Riviera (2017) as Sonya Roche
- Our Lives (2017) as Self - Narrator
- Paddington 2 (2017) as Prosecutor
- We Have Been Watching (2017) as Self
- Don't Ask Me Ask Britain (2017) as Herself
- Brexit Shorts: Just a T-shirt (2017) as Priri
- Brexit Shorts: Just a T-shirt (2017) Writer
- Doctor Strange (2016) as Dr. Patel
- Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016) as Nobody (voice)
- John Bishop: In Conversation with... (2016) as Self
- Walliams & Friend (2016) as Various
- Branagh Theatre Live: Romeo and Juliet (2016) as Nurse
- A Midsummer Night's Dream - Live at Shakespeare's Globe (2016) as Presenter
- The Brink (2015) as Naeema
- Absolutely Anything (2015) as Fiona
- National Theatre Live: Behind the Beautiful Forevers (2015) as Zehrunisa Husain
- Amar Akbar & Tony (2015) as Honey
- Better Than the Original: The Joy of the Cover Version (2015) as Narrator
- Better Than the Original: The Joy of the Cover Version (2015) as Narrator
- The Musketeers (2014) as Theresa
- Duck Quacks Don't Echo (2014) as Self
- The Kumars (2014) as Sushil 'Ummi' Kumar
- Original Comedy Shorts (2014)
- Original Comedy Shorts (2014) Writer
- The Boy in the Dress (2014) as Jaspreet
- All About TWO (2014) as Self - Panellist
- Broadchurch (2013) as Judge Sonia Sharma
- Crackanory (2013) as Self
- Psychobitches (2013) as Hera
- Family Tree (2013) as Chitra
- The Job Lot (2013) as Jamina McNulty
- Love Matters (2013) as Kuldip
- Hunted (2012) as Fatima Zahir
- Much Ado About Nothing (2012) as Beatrice
- All in Good Time (2012) as Lopa
- Silk (2011) as Aisha Wiseman
- Tinga Tinga Tales (2010) as Owl (voice)
- Little Crackers (2010) as Herself
- Little Crackers (2010) Writer
- You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) as Dia's Mother
- Horrible Histories (2009) as Storyteller
- Desert Flower (2009) as Pushpa Patel
- Grandpa in My Pocket (2009) as Mrs Pointy Pencil
- Minder (2009) as Jess Robinson
- Mad Sad & Bad (2009) as Rashmi
- Beautiful People (2008) as Aunty Hayley
- When Were We Funniest? (2008) as Self
- Phineas and Ferb (2007) as Baljeet's Mom (voice)
- Would I Lie to You? (2007) as Self - Panellist
- The Alan Titchmarsh Show (2007) as Self
- Kingdom (2007) as Head Teacher
- Jekyll (2007) as Miranda
- Jhoom Barabar Jhoom (2007) as Satvinder’s mother
- The One Show (2006) as Self - Guest
- The One Show (2006) as Self
- Scoop (2006) as Joe's Co-Passenger
- The Amazing Mrs Pritchard (2006) as Liz Shannon
- School's Out (2006) as Self
- Uncle Max (2006) as Snooty Neighbour
- The Children's Party at the Palace (2006) as Mary (The BFG)
- Doctor Who (2005) as Nasreen Chaudhry
- 8 Out of 10 Cats (2005) as Self
- Nigella (2005) as Self
- Monkey Trousers (2005)
- Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee (2005) as Sunita
- The Secretary Who Stole £4 Million (2005) as Joyti De-Laurey
- Who Do You Think You Are? (2004) as Self
- New Tricks (2004) as Baroness Samira Khan
- Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind (2004) as Self
- King of Bollywood (2004) as Mrs Jones
- QI (2003) as Self
- Murder Investigation Team (2003) as DCI Anita Wishart
- Johnny Vaughan Tonight (2002) as Self
- The Jury (2002) as Headteacher
- All About Me (2002) as Rupinder
- Anita and Me (2002) as Auntie Shaila
- Anita and Me (2002) Writer
- Anita and Me (2002) Producer
- Bitches & Beauty Queens: The Making of Miss India (2002) as Narrator
- The Kumars at No. 42 (2001)
- In Deep (2001) as Marta Drusic
- Linda Green (2001) as Sukie
- Double Income, No Kids Yet (2001) as Katie
- Bedtime (2001) as Ruby
- Treasure (2001) as Voices
- Fat Friends (2000) as Aysha Kapoor
- The Strangerers (2000) as Volunteer
- Forgive and Forget (2000) as Judith Adams
- Aladdin: The ITV Pantomime (2000) as High Priestess
- Holby City (1999) as Tara Sodi
- Loose Women (1999) as Self
- Bad Girls (1999) as Janan Hamad
- It's Only TV But I Like It (1999) as Self
- Parkinson (1998) as Self
- Goodness Gracious Me (1998)
- Goodness Gracious Me (1998) Creator
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998) as Madame Marlene
- Girls' Night (1998) as Carmen
- Midsomer Murders (1997) as Clara Myerscough
- Ruby (1997) as Self
- Holding On (1997) as Zita
- Keeping Mum (1997) as Tina Beare
- A Night in with the Girls (1997) as Self
- Wavelength (1997) as Mrs Kumar
- Sixth Happiness (1997) as Breathing Generator
- Flight (1997) as Tasleema
- Beautiful Thing (1996) as Miss Chauhan
- Crossing the Floor (1996) as Reporter
- Band of Gold (1995) as Anne Denver
- Degrees of Error (1995) as Dr. Jean Lowell
- It's Not Unusual (1995) as Shushila
- Room 101 (1994) as Self
- Jo Brand Through the Cakehole (1994) as Various
- A Nice Arrangement (1994) as Sita
- A Nice Arrangement (1994) Story
- O Mary This London (1994) as Ranting woman
- Memsahib Rita (1994) as Unumma
- GMTV (1993) as Self
- Bhaji on the Beach (1993) Writer
- Absolutely Fabulous (1992) as Suzy
- Sean's Show (1992) as Trudy
- Gummed Labels (1992) as Mira
- My Sister-Wife (1992) as Farah Khan
- My Sister-Wife (1992) Writer
- Soldier Soldier (1991) as Sangita Sharma
- The Real McCoy (1991)
- Kinsey (1991) as Val
- Have I Got News for You (1990) as Self
- Drop the Dead Donkey (1990) as Barmaid
- Interviewers From Hell (1989)
- This Morning (1988) as Self
- A Little Princess (1987) as Anna
- Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) as Rani
- Boon (1986) as Council Supervisor
- Handsworth Songs (1986) as Voice Over
- To Have and to Hold (1986) as Janine
- Screen Two (1985) as Farah Khan
- Screen Two (1985) as Ranting Woman
- Screen Two (1985) as Reporter
- The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ (1985) as Mrs. Singh
- Tandoori Nights (1985) Writer
- Black Silk (1985) as Mumtaz Khan
- The Bill (1984) as Linda Morgan
- The Bill (1984) as Woman in Street
- The Bill (1984) as Solicitor
- The Bill (1984) as Miss Choudry
- Majdhar (1984) as Rehana
- Natural World (1983) as Narrator
- Taggart (1983) as Sharon Lal
- An Audience with... (1978) as Self
- Phony as Sharla
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Meera Syal best known for?
Meera Syal is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including The Sandman (2022), The Devil's Hour (2022), The Wheel of Time (2021), Dragon Rider (2020).
When and where was Meera Syal born?
Meera Syal was born on June 27, 1961 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, UK.
How many credits does Meera Syal have?
Meera Syal has accumulated over 186 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1978 to 2026.
What is Meera Syal's background in cinema and television?
Meera Syal is a British actress known for her work in various media. Born on 27 June 1961 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England, UK, she has appeared in numerous acting credits. Syal has been involved in the creation of several notable projects, including Goodness Gracious Me. She is also known for her portrayal of ...