Meera Syal is a British actress, comedian and novelist of Punjabi descent, born in Wolverhampton, who helped transform the presence of South Asians in UK comedy. She co-created and starred in the landmark sketch show 'Goodness Gracious Me' (1998) and played the scene-stealing grandmother in 'The Kumars at No. 42' (2001). Her novel 'Anita and Me' became a 2002 film. Later screen work spans 'Doctor Who' (2011), 'Yesterday' (2019), 'The Sandman' (2022) and the scholarly Verin in 'The Wheel of Time' (2023). Appointed CBE, she blends sharp social satire with deep warmth, a chronicler of British-Indian life. Read more