Meera Syal is arguably the nation’s favourite British-Asian TV comedian. She’s definitely the Queen’s. A few weeks ago, former Radio 2 editor, Phil Jones, revealed that, when introduced to the Queen in 2001, she told him her favourite show was The Kumars at No 42. According to Jones, she even quoted lines from Syal’s grandma character. Syal laughs when I mention this: “If it’s true – fantastic. I can see why she’d respond to a very smart older woman with agency.”
We meet at a London photo studio. Maybe I also have Granny Kumar lodged in my brain because Syal, 60, is slighter, more delicate, than I expect. She is also engaged and easy company, tucking into a veggie burger as we chat. There’s certainly plenty to talk about when it comes to Syal’s decades-spanning career. The groundbreaking British-Asian television comedies – Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars – are just the tip of it. There’s her extensive work across film, television and theatre, ranging from the RSC to the West End. There are also books, scripts, screenplays, including the adaptation of her debut (semi-autobiographical) novel, Anita and Me. Her awards include an MBE in 1997 and a CBE in 2015.
