total tv - meera syal

T here is so much more to Meera Syal than playing interfering granny Sushila in The Kumars At No 42- not that she isn't brilliant at that. She is also a talented writer. Her first novel, Anita And Me, was a bestseller and was made into a film. Now her second novel, Life lsn'tAll Ha Ha HeeHee, has been adapted (by Meera herself and Abi Morgan who wrote the award-winning Sex Traffic) into a three-part series for BBCl. It tells the story of three childhood friends, Tania (Laila Rouass. Footballers'Wives), CbiIa :\yesha Darker, Star Wars11) -=- ~ ~Ieera). definitelytakenthese - ~ 'OlDendown very ---':.. -"-'''':s the 'gob -- !:2' ...".eft her --- :::-d>e -~ ~:,"- - -~-- - ~ ~ -'i! '-6."""'M..- -~_..~-"":~...~. 1"Jr-=--. ~ t:t ~ -~.. ;p" 4 ! YOUR TOTAL TV GUIDE STARTSHERE - ,,~.,,~ L -31' ...'~ .. stale. Then there's innocent Chila, who is about to marry Deepak (Ace Bhatti). the man of her dreams. But Deepak has a long list of exes- including Tania. At the moment, the women's friendship is still strong, but all that is about to change when Tania is asked to make a documentary about her commw1ity and uses her friends' lives - and secrets - as the subject matter. So what inspired the story? 'There were two stories in an Asian newspaper,' explains Meera. 'One said: ''Asianwomen top the UK graduate league." Then right next to it was: ''Asianwomen top in suicide and self-harming league." It really shocked me that as a bunch of people we are capable of reaching dizzy heights and achieving so much, but equally capable of destroying ourselves.' .-\lthough the story is !a:.a It. c.Jdng at times, it also has ;:moen1S of pure comedy. : :bink that's what life is like,' ~ ~.:een..'You'reconstantly going between the two.Yourfriends could be telling you about the most awful thing that happened to them, and then in the middle of it crack some self-effacing joke, and you're thinking, "God,I shouldn't be laughing but it's so fwmy.''' Meera credits the director of the drama,Andy de Emmony (Canterbwy Tales), with capturing the right balance. 'He keeps the comedy, yet lets all the darkness in.' How did she cope with real-life husband Sanjeev playing her on-screen spouse? 'Atthe time we did this we didn't even live together,' she says. 'So we were actually going home to separate houses - which was probably helpful!' - -- .... .

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hereissomuchmoreto MeeraSyalthanplaying interfering grannySushila inTheKumarsAtNo42- notthatsheisn'tbrilliantatthat. Sheisalsoatalented writer.Her firstnovel,AnitaAndMe,wasa bestsellerandwasmadeinto afilm.Nowhersecondnovel, Lifelsn'tAllHaHaHeeHee, hasbeenadapted (byMeera herselfandAbiMorganwhowrote theaward-winning SexTraffic)into athree-part seriesforBBCl. Ittellsthestoryofthree childhoodfriends,Tania(Laila Rouass.Footballers'Wives), CbiIa:\yeshaDarker,StarWars11) - -- ~ ~ -'i!'-6."""'M..- .

TRANSCRIPT

There is so much more toMeera Syal than playinginterfering granny Sushilain The Kumars AtNo 42-

not that she isn't brilliant at that.She is also a talented writer. Herfirst novel, Anita And Me, was abestseller and was made intoa film. Now her second novel,Lifelsn'tAll Ha Ha HeeHee,has been adapted (by Meeraherself and Abi Morgan who wrotethe award-winning Sex Traffic) intoa three-part series for BBCl.

It tells the story of threechildhood friends, Tania (LailaRouass. Footballers'Wives),CbiIa :\yesha Darker, Star Wars11)-=- ~ ~Ieera).

definitelytakenthese- ~ 'OlDendown very---':.. -"-'''':s the 'gob

-- !:2' ...".efther--- :::-d>e

-~ ~:,"- - -~-- -

~ ~ -'i! '-6."""'M..--~_..~-"":~...~.1"Jr-=--. ~ t:t ~ -~.. ;p"

YOUR TOTAL TV GUIDE STARTSHERE- ,,~.,,~ L -31'...'~ ..

stale. Then there's innocent Chila,who is about to marry Deepak (AceBhatti). the man of her dreams. ButDeepak has a long list of exes-including Tania.

At the moment, the women'sfriendship is still strong, but all thatis about to change when Tania isasked to make a documentaryabout her commw1ity and uses herfriends' lives - and secrets - as the

subject matter.Sowhat inspired the story?

'There were two stories in anAsian newspaper,' explainsMeera. 'One said: ''Asianwomentop the UKgraduate league."Then right next to it was:''Asianwomen top in suicide andself-harming league." It reallyshocked me that as a bunch ofpeople we are capable of reachingdizzy heights and achieving somuch, but equally capable ofdestroying ourselves.'

.-\lthough the story is!a:.a It. c.Jdng at times, it also has;:moen1S of pure comedy.

: :bink that's what life is like,'~ ~.:een..'You'reconstantly going

between the two.Yourfriends couldbe telling you about the most awfulthing that happened to them, andthen in the middle of it crack someself-effacing joke, and you'rethinking, "God,I shouldn't belaughing but it's so fwmy.'''

Meera credits the director ofthe drama,Andy de Emmony(Canterbwy Tales),with capturing

the right balance. 'He keeps thecomedy, yet lets all the darkness in.'

How did she cope with real-lifehusband Sanjeev playing heron-screen spouse?

'Atthe time we did this we didn'teven live together,' she says. 'So wewere actually going home toseparate houses - which was

probably helpful!'

- --

.....

Meera by Lakshmi

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(Re)constructing the hybrid: negotiating transcultural ... · Asian feminist authors: Jasmine by Bharati Mukherjee and Anita and Me by Meera Syal. I seek to explore the protagonist,