Actor Meera Syal was presented with a lifetime achievement award at Bafta recently. The actor-comedian and writer was given a Bafta Fellowship on Sunday in recognition of "outstanding achievement" within TV. While collecting the award, the actor placed a bindi on her Bafta and said it "represents change".
The actor spoke of the need for diversity in the TV industry. The actor who is best known for starring in Goodness Gracious Me said, "Not just in front of the camera but in the writers' rooms, in makeup vans and around tables where deals are done".
During her speech, she referenced a quote from Maya Angelou about "the agony of an untold story" as she reflected on her career, which has spanned three decades.
See the video here:
"We are all storytellers here, so we know how much it matters, what stories we get to tell but more importantly who gets to tell them," she added.
The actor ended her speech by dedicating her win to her "fellow travellers, all the ones who've been made to feel because of their race, sex or class that their stories don't matter. They do because the untold stories are the ones that change us, and sometimes can change the world."
The actor also posted a picture of her award with a bindi. She wrote, "Thank you for all the love and thank you @BAFTA. #BAFTAwithabindi"
Check out the post here:
The actor grew up in the village of Essington in south Staffordshire after her parents moved from India to the UK, according to BBC.
She is best known for her roles in Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumar's at No. 42, alongside her husband Sanjeev Bhaskar.
