Discover
Meera Syal is an English comedian, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No. 42. She became one of the UK's best-known Asian personalities.
Birth Name
Feroza Syal
Born
Tuesday, 27 June 1961
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Canterville Ghost | Lucretia Otis / Lucretia Otis (voice) | 2023 |
| Mrs Sidhu Investigates | Mrs Sidhu / Mrs. Sidhu | 2023 |
| The Smeds and the Smoos | Aunt Smed / Aunt Smed (voice) | 2022 |
| The Almond and the Seahorse | Dr. Falmer | 2022 |
| The Devil's Hour | Dr. Bennett / Dr Ruby Bennett / Dr. Ruby Bennett | 2022 |
| The Sandman | Erica | 2022 |
| Roar | Anu | 2022 |
| The Wheel of Time | Verin Mathwin | 2021 |
| Spin | Asha | 2021 |
| Diana's Decades | Narrator / Self - Narrator | 2021 |
Actress Filmography
| Title | Character | Year |
|---|
| The Canterville Ghost | Lucretia Otis / Lucretia Otis (voice) | 2023 |
| Mrs Sidhu Investigates | Mrs Sidhu / Mrs. Sidhu | 2023 |
| The Smeds and the Smoos | Aunt Smed / Aunt Smed (voice) | 2022 |
| The Almond and the Seahorse | Dr. Falmer | 2022 |
| The Devil's Hour | Dr. Bennett / Dr Ruby Bennett / Dr. Ruby Bennett | 2022 |
| The Sandman | Erica | 2022 |
| Roar | Anu | 2022 |
| The Wheel of Time | Verin Mathwin | 2021 |
| Spin | Asha | 2021 |
| Diana's Decades | Narrator / Self - Narrator | 2021 |
| Mel Giedroyc: Unforgivable | Self | 2021 |
| Rhod Gilbert's Growing Pains | Self | 2021 |
| Dragon Rider | Subisha Gulab / Subisha Gulab (voice) | 2020 |
| Comedians: Home Alone | Reena | 2020 |
| Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation | Alice | 2020 |
| Code 404 | Elizabeth Churchland | 2020 |
| Kate & Koji | Dr Ayesha Radwan / Dr. Ayesha Radwan | 2020 |
| Yesterday | Sheila Malik | 2019 |
| Back to Life | Gaia | 2019 |
| Nativity Rocks! | Nina | 2018 |
| The Nutcracker and the Four Realms | Cook | 2018 |
| Patrick the Pug | Miss Phillips / Head Teacher Phillips | 2018 |
| Zoe Ball on ... | Self - Guest | 2018 |
| The Split | Goldie | 2018 |
| The Greatest TV Moments of All Time | Self - Special Guest | 2018 |
| Paddington 2 | Prosecutor | 2017 |
| Richard Osman's House of Games | Self - Contestant | 2017 |
| Riviera | Sonya Roche | 2017 |
| Don't Ask Me Ask Britain | Self - Panellist | 2017 |
| Our Lives | Narrator | 2016 |
| Doctor Strange | Dr. Patel | 2016 |
| Treasures of the British Library | Self - Presenter | 2016 |
| Branagh Theatre Live: Romeo and Juliet | Nurse | 2016 |
| Inside Britain's Biggest Mosque | Self - Narrator | 2016 |
| Alice Through the Looking Glass | Nobody (voice) / Nobody | 2016 |
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | Self - Presenter | 2016 |
| Better Than the Original: The Joy of the Cover Version | Narrator | 2015 |
| The Brink | Naeema | 2015 |
| Amar Akbar & Tony | Honey | 2015 |
| Absolutely Anything | Fiona | 2015 |
| The Boy in the Dress | Jaspreet | 2014 |
| Duck Quacks Don't Echo | Herself | 2014 |
| The Musketeers | Theresa | 2014 |
| The Kumars | Sushil 'Ummi' Kumar | 2014 |
| Crackanory | Self - Presenter | 2013 |
| Portrait Artist of the Year | Self - Sitter | 2013 |
| Family Tree | Chitra ('There Goes the Neighbourhood') / Chitra ('There Goes the Neighborhood') | 2013 |
| The Job Lot | Jamina McNulty | 2013 |
| Love Matters | Kuldip | 2013 |
| Broadchurch | Judge Sonia Sharma | 2013 |
| Hunted | Fatima Zahir | 2012 |
| The British | Self - Actor and Writer | 2012 |
| Psychobitches | Hera | 2012 |
| All in Good Time | Lopa | 2012 |
| Sunday Brunch | Herself - Guest / Self - Guest | 2012 |
| Jo Brand's Big Splash | Self | 2011 |
| Silk | Aisha Wiseman | 2011 |
| Pointless Celebrities | Self - Contestant | 2010 |
| Little Crackers | Self | 2010 |
| You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger | Dia's Mother | 2010 |
| Tinga Tinga Tales | Owl | 2010 |
| Desert Flower | Pushpa Patel | 2009 |
| Mad Sad & Bad | Rashmi | 2009 |
| Horrible Histories | Storyteller | 2009 |
| CBeebies Bedtime Story | Self - Storyteller | 2009 |
| Grandpa in My Pocket | Mrs. Pointy Pencil | 2009 |
| Minder | Jess Robinson | 2009 |
| Beautiful People | Aunty Hayley | 2008 |
| Phineas and Ferb | Additional Voices / Louisa Patel | 2007 |
| Jekyll | Miranda | 2007 |
| Jhoom Barabar Jhoom | Satvinder's mother / Satvinder’s mother | 2007 |
| Kingdom | Headteacher | 2007 |
| The Cult of... | Self - Narrator | 2006 |
| The Amazing Mrs Pritchard | Liz Shannon | 2006 |
| The One Show | Self - Guest | 2006 |
| Scoop | Joe's Co-Passengers / Joe's Co-Passenger | 2006 |
| Uncle Max | Snooty Neighbour | 2006 |
| The F Word | Self | 2005 |
| Drama Connections | Self - Narrator | 2005 |
| Nigella | Self | 2005 |
| 8 Out of 10 Cats | Self | 2005 |
| Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee | Sunita | 2005 |
| Doctor Who Confidential | Self | 2005 |
| Doctor Who | Nasreen Chaudhry | 2005 |
| Who Do You Think You Are? | Self | 2004 |
| The Paul O'Grady Show | Herself | 2004 |
| The King of Bollywood | 2004 | |
| Derren Brown: Trick of the Mind | Self - Guest | 2004 |
| Star Portraits with Rolf Harris | Self | 2004 |
| QI | Self - Panellist | 2003 |
| Comedy Connections | Self | 2003 |
| The Terry and Gaby Show | Self | 2003 |
| Murder Investigation Team | DCI Anita Wishart | 2003 |
| New Tricks | Baroness Samira Khan [Barroness Steiner in Credits] | 2003 |
| Anita & Me | Auntie Shaila | 2002 |
| The Buzz | Self | 2002 |
| V Graham Norton | Self | 2002 |
| All About Me | Rupinder | 2002 |
| The Jury | Headteacher / Head Teacher | 2002 |
| The Kumars at No. 42 | Sushil 'Ummi' Kumar | 2001 |
| Linda Green | Sukie | 2001 |
| Bedtime | Ruby | 2001 |
| Jumpers for Goalposts | Self | 2001 |
| In Deep | Marta Drusic | 2001 |
| Aladdin | High Priestess | 2000 |
| Fat Friends | Aysha Kapoor | 2000 |
| Single Voices | Kamla | 2000 |
| The Wright Stuff | Self - Guest Panelist | 2000 |
| The Strangerers | Volunteer | 2000 |
| Forgive and Forget | Judith Adams | 2000 |
| Loose Women | Herself / Self | 1999 |
| Bad Girls | Janan Hamad | 1999 |
| Holby City | Tara Sodi | 1999 |
| Who Wants to Be a Millionaire | Self - Contestant | 1998 |
| The Mrs Bradley Mysteries | Madam Marlene | 1998 |
| Girls' Night | Carmen | 1998 |
| Sixth Happiness | Breathing Generator | 1997 |
| Holding On | Zita | 1997 |
| Keeping Mum | Tina Beare | 1997 |
| Light Lunch | Self | 1997 |
| Midsomer Murders | Clara Myerscough | 1997 |
| Goodness Gracious Me | Various / Various Roles | 1996 |
| Beautiful Thing | Miss Chauhan | 1996 |
| Room 101 | Self | 1994 |
| Live & Kicking | Self | 1993 |
| Absolutely Fabulous | Suzy | 1992 |
| Sean's Show | Trudy | 1992 |
| Soldier Soldier | Sangita Sharma | 1991 |
| The Real McCoy | Various Roles | 1991 |
| Have I Got News for You | Self | 1990 |
| Drop the Dead Donkey | Barmaid | 1990 |
| Sammy and Rosie Get Laid | Rani | 1987 |
| Dispatches | Narrator | 1987 |
| Ruth Rendell Mysteries | Matron | 1987 |
| A Little Princess | Anna | 1987 |
| Handsworth Songs | (voice) / Voice Over | 1986 |
| Boon | Council Supervisor | 1986 |
| The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ | Mrs. Singh | 1985 |
| Screen Two | Reporter / Ranting woman / Farah Khan | 1985 |
| The Brief | Miss Choudry / Woman in Street / Solicitor / Linda | 1984 |
| Majdhar | Rehana | 1984 |
| Natural World | Self - Narrator | 1983 |
| Taggart | Sharon Lal | 1983 |
| Children In Need | Sushil 'Ummi' Kumar | 1980 |
| The South Bank Show | Self | 1978 |
| Panorama | Self - Narrator (voice) | 1953 |
Producer Filmography
| Title | Year |
|---|
| Mrs Sidhu Investigates | 2023 |
| Anita & Me | 2002 |
