British Actors You Should Know: Sanjeev Bhaskar

Actor Sanjeev Bhaskar was born in England in 1963 to immigrant parents who ran a laundromat in Hounslow, Middlesex. At school, he was one of three Asian students and found that although he was allowed to play "Kiss and Chase" (what it sounds like!), he was allowed to chase but not kiss. Unsurprisingly, he spent his youth learning to handle racist bullying and figured out early that comedy (pretending fish fingers were his favorite food) was the key to survival at school. He invited few friends home, embarrassed by the fact that the family lived above the laundromat, his mother wore a sari, and his family was so clearly "other."

After discovering Shakespeare, Bhaskar learned RP (Received Pronunciation) and decided that the bard deserved the best. By the time he was in secondary school, the Asian population had increased, but this was the era of the National Front, and fights were common. Following business studies at the University of Hertfordshire, he went to work for IBM, only to re-discover his love of comedy as a hobby. He initially caught the attention of the BBC as a member of "The Secret Asians," a live comedy sketch show performing in London. That led to a radio, TV, and film career, mainly focused on comedy, exploring South Asian culture within U.K. society.

Bhaskar was well into his BBC career by the time Unforgotten came along, and he and his wife, Meera Syal (Mrs. Sidhu Investigates), are household names for their sitcoms. In addition to writing and acting, Bhaskar is the Chancellor of the University of Sussex, which awarded him an honorary degree in 2019. Let's take a look at his work!