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Anjli Mohindra

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Anjli Mohindra
Anjli Mohindra photographed by David Reiss in 2023
Born
London, England
Alma materCentral Junior Television Workshop
Occupations
  • Actress
  • writer
Years active2005–present
Television
PartnerSacha Dhawan[1]

Anjli Mohindra (/ˈændʒli məˈhɪndrə/[2]) is an English stage, screen and voice-over actress and writer. She is best known for her television roles as Rani Chandra in the Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures (2008–2011) and would-be suicide bomber Nadia Ali in Bodyguard (2018). Her other television roles include Surgeon Lieutenant Tiffany Docherty in Vigil (2021), Detective Constable Josie Chancellor in Dark Heart (2016–2018) and Archie in The Lazarus Project (2022–2023).

Early life

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Mohindra was born in London to immigrant parents of Indian descent. She grew up in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire,[3][4] apart from a four-year period on a military base in Germany, where she was the only ethnic minority child out of 2,000 students at an Armed Forces school.[5] According to Mohindra, her family is Hindu Punjabi.[6] Her father was raised in Kenya when it was a British colony and had a clerical job in the British Army for several years. Her mother was born in Punjab, India and arrived in the UK from India at the age of 18 to further her education, working variously as a court clerk, bank manager, postmistress, pub owner and English tutor.[3]

Mohindra has a sister and a brother.[7] In a 2018 interview about her personal style, Mohindra said that she had been a tomboy growing up, sometimes wearing her brother's hand-me-down clothes.[8]

Mohindra attended Jesse Gray Primary School and West Bridgford School. She later trained in acting at the Central Junior Television Workshop in Nottingham.[9]

Career

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2005–2011: Early career

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Mohindra's television acting career began in an episode of ITV's long-running soap opera Coronation Street in 2005, where she played Dev Alahan's daughter Shareen after being turned down for another, larger role.[10] This appearance was soon followed by small, one-episode parts in the medical soap opera Doctors (2006), teen sitcom The Inbetweeners (2008), police procedural Law & Order: UK (2009) and medical drama Holby City (2010). She also appeared in two episodes of the comedy drama Beaver Falls (2011).

Mohindra played her first regular role as aspiring journalist Rani Chandra in the Doctor Who spin-off series The Sarah Jane Adventures (2008–2011) on children's television channel CBBC. She was introduced in the second series as a replacement for Yasmin Paige,[11] who left the series to complete her GCSEs. Mohindra continued to play the role in the subsequent three series until the last episode of the show, broadcast in October 2011.

2012–present: Post-The Sarah Jane Adventures career

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Mohindra at a fan convention in 2013

In 2012, Mohindra appeared in an episode of the longest-running medical drama series in the world, Casualty. Soon after, she landed parts in two episodes of The Missing (2014), a BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated child-abduction thriller starring Tchéky Karyo, and six episodes of Cucumber (2015), Russell T Davies's series about a middle-aged gay man from Manchester.[12]

Mohindra played a leading role in four 15-minute episodes of the BBC iPlayer romcom My Jihad (2014–2015),[13][14] described as "a tender and funny love story exploring the unfolding relationship between a young Muslim couple".[15] She then made her feature film debut in Miss You Already (2015), starring Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore, followed by supporting roles in two ITV shows, Paranoid (2016)[16] and Bancroft (2017).[17][18]

In 2018, Mohindra played Nadia Ali in Jed Mercurio's political thriller Bodyguard (2018).[17] The series received multiple BAFTA, Emmy and Golden Globe nominations; its finale was reported to be the most-watched BBC drama in 10 years.[19] Mohindra initially declined the role until she learned there would be more depth to her character than she assumed.[20] The same year, she starred alongside Tom Riley in the ITV crime drama Dark Heart and guested in DC's Legends of Tomorrow as magical shapeshifter Charlie. Mohindra starred as an ambitious radio producer in Mark Gatiss's take on the classic Christmas ghost story, The Dead Room (2018), alongside Simon Callow.[17][21]

From 2006 to 2019, she played in 11 theatrical productions.[22] Her stage work includes David Hare's Behind the Beautiful Forevers (2014)[23] and Shahid Nadeem's Dara (2015), both professionally recorded and broadcast through National Theatre Live, as well as Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest (2012)[24] and Michael Frayn's Noises Off (2019).[25]

In 2019, Mohindra appeared as a regular lead in the ITV drama Wild Bill.[26] She later played the Queen of the Skithra[27] in the Doctor Who episode "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" (2020).[28] Since 2022, Mohindra has also reprised her role of Rani from The Sarah Jane Adventures in several Doctor Who audio drama spin-offs from Big Finish Productions, as well as in three episodes of Doctor Who: Redacted (2022), a ten-part podcast drama from BBC Sounds featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker.[29] Mohindra has played other characters in audio dramas featuring the Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Doctors over the years.[30][31][32]

Mohindra won a place on the Royal Court's Young Writers' Programme in 2016.[17] During COVID-19 pandemic, she made her writing debut with a short film called The People Under the Moon (2020), produced entirely during lockdown and starring Gwilym Lee as a medic who joins a dating app.[33]

In 2021, she appeared alongside Suranne Jones in Tom Edge's Vigil, playing Tiffany Docherty, the medical officer on board a nuclear submarine which becomes the subject of a murder investigation. The series quickly became the BBC's most-watched new drama of the year.[34] The following year, she appeared in the Netflix period spy thriller Munich – The Edge of War as a British diplomatic secretary embroiled in the negotiations at the 1938 Munich conference[35] and then had the lead role in the Sky science fiction drama The Lazarus Project, described as a "gripping exploration of memory, fate and the limits of love".[36] In the series she played Archie, who recruits Paapa Essiedu's character George into a secret organisation that has the power to turn back time if the world is threatened by extinction.[37]

Personal life

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Mohindra is in a relationship with actor Sacha Dhawan.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Film roles of Anjli Mohindra
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Swagger Wars Girl's Friend Short film
2012 The Black Scholes Conspiracy Dee
2013 The Painter and the Thief Sally
2015 Miss You Already Kira
2018 Process Anaya Short film
2020 The People Under the Moon Dating App (voice) Short film; also writer
2021 Munich – The Edge of War Joan Menzies
2023 The Glassworker Alliz Amano (voice)

Television

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Television roles of Anjli Mohindra
Year Title Role Notes
2005–2006 Coronation Street Shareen 2 episodes
2006 Doctors Gemma Fox Episode: "Goodbye Mrs Chips"
2008 The Inbetweeners Charlotte's Friend Episode: "Will Gets a Girlfriend"
2008–2011 The Sarah Jane Adventures Rani Chandra Main role in series 2–5; 41 episodes and a Comic Relief special
2009 Law & Order: UK Sophie Martin Episode: "Love and Loss"
2010 Holby City Mindy Kapoor Episode: "The Butterfly Effect: Part Two"
Sarah Jane's Alien Files Rani Chandra Episode #1.2
2011 Beaver Falls Saima 2 episodes
2012 Doctors Meera Singh Episode: "Firestarter"
Casualty Meera Hussein Episode: "Teenage Dreams"
2013 Coming Up Roxy Episode: "Doughnuts"
2014–2015 My Jihad Fahmida Main role; 4 episodes
2014 The Missing Amara Suri 2 episodes
2015 Cucumber Veronica Chandra 6 episodes
Cuffs Nasreen Iqbal Episode: "Bringing a Knife to a Gunfight"
2016 Paranoid PC Megan Waters Main role; 8 episodes
2016–2018 Dark Heart DC Josie Chancellor Main role; 6 episodes
2017 Revolting Zaynab Episode #1.1
The Boy with the Topknot Bindi TV film
Bancroft Zaheera Kamara Main role in series 1; 4 episodes
2018 Midsomer Murders Faiza Jindal Episode: "The Ghost of Causton Abbey"
Bodyguard Nadia Ali 4 episodes
The Bisexual Katie Episode #1.1
Legends of Tomorrow Charlie Episode: "Dancing Queen"
The Dead Room Tara Lohia TV film
2019 Wild Bill DCC Lydia Price Main role; 6 episodes
2020 Doctor Who Queen Skithra Episode: "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror"
Daleks! Mechanoid Queen (voice) Animated series released on YouTube; 3 episodes
2021 Vigil Surgeon Lieutenant Tiffany Docherty 6 episodes
2022–2023 The Lazarus Project Archie Main role; 8 episodes (Series 1) and 8 episodes (Series 2)
2022 The Suspect DS Riya Devi 5 episodes
The Peripheral Beatrice 3 episodes
2024 The Red King Grace Narayan Lead role[38]

Audio and radio dramas

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Audio and radio drama roles of Anjli Mohindra
Year Title Role Production Notes Ref.
2012 Bernice Summerfield Gabriella Dominicci Big Finish Productions Episode: "Brand Management" [39]
2013 Gallifrey Maris Episode: "Evolution" [40]
2014 Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures Jyoti Cutler Episode: "Scavenger" [30]
2017 Tumanbay Hodah BBC Radio 4 3 episodes [41]
2019 The Eighth Doctor: The Time War Calla Big Finish Productions Episode: "State of Bliss" [31]
2020 A Room of One's Own Judith Shakespeare / Jane Austen / Mary Carmichael BBC Radio 4 [42]
Prostrate Anita 5 episodes [43]
Doctor Who: The Fifth Doctor Adventures Captain Riya Nehru Big Finish Productions Episode: "The Moonrakers" [44]
The Tenth Doctor and River Song Omara / Barmaid / Fanny Episode: "Precious Annihilation" [45]
Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures Various Characters 8 episodes of Shadow of the Daleks [32]
2021 Passenger List Evelyn / School Secretary BBC Radio 4 2 episodes [46]
Doctor Who: Stranded Nisha Big Finish Productions Episode: "Baker Street Irregulars" [47]
The Goldilocks Zone Zara BBC Radio 4 [48]
2022 The Eighth of March Rani Chandra Big Finish Productions Episode: "The Turn of the Tides" [49]
2022–2023 Doctor Who: Redacted BBC Sounds 5 episodes [29]
2023–2024 Rani Takes on the World Big Finish Productions 6 episodes [50]

Audiobook narration

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Audiobook narration roles of Anjli Mohindra
Year Title Author Notes Ref.
2011 Judgement Day Scott Gray Part of the audio series The Sarah Jane Adventures Collection [51]
2017 The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters Nadiya Hussain Co-narrated with actresses Avita Jay, Maya Saroya and Aasiya Shah [52]
2019 How to Find Home Mahsuda Snaith Abridged by Siân Preece and broadcast in 10 parts on BBC Radio 4 [53]
The Million Pieces of Neena Gill Emma Smith-Barton [54]
The Panther's Tale Mahsuda Snaith Part of Audible's podcast series Hag [55]
The Things We Thought We Knew [56]
Mrs Dalloway Virginia Woolf [57]

Video games

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Video game roles of Anjli Mohindra
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Plants Rani Chandra (voice)
Plant and Animal Habitats
Teeth and Eating
Rocks and Soils
2015 Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below Maya Mahabala (voice) English version
2016 Dragon Quest Heroes II
2022 Elden Ring Millicent (voice) Demo Only

References

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  1. ^ a b Osborne, Emma (24 September 2018). "Bodyguard's Anjli Mahindra's life away from the BBC drama uncovered as her FAMOUS boyfriend is revealed". OK. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  2. ^ "Everything Hair Removal | On The Pulse With Anjli & Mandip". Pulse Light Clinic London. 2 March 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b Harvey, Chris (24 September 2018). "Bodyguard star Anjli Mohindra: 'Nadia isn't an Islamophobic stereotype – playing her was empowering'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Anjli hungers for a real taste of home". Nottingham Post. 16 October 2013. p. 36.
  5. ^ Mohindra, Anjli (23 September 2018). "What starring in Bodyguard taught me about self-acceptance". Stylist. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  6. ^ "Anjli Mohindra interview - from Bodyguard to Wild Bill, she's on a role". The Scotsman. 22 June 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  7. ^ "INTERVIEW | Bodyguard Anjli Mohindra - Acting adventures". www.essence-magazine.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  8. ^ Mulley, Laura (13 September 2018). "Bodyguard actress Anjli Mohindra takes centre stage in flowing gowns". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  9. ^ "James Pulford went to see the Central Drama Workshop perform Scary Play by Judith Johnson". Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  10. ^ "Bodyguard star Anjli Mohindra: I almost gave up after Corrie turned me down". belfasttelegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  11. ^ Rawson-Jones, Ben (6 October 2008). "S02E03: 'The Day Of The Clown' - Part One". Digital Spy. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  12. ^ Raeside, Julia (13 March 2015). "Cucumber review – from misery to joy in a truly magnificent ending". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  13. ^ "'My Jihad': Finding the perfect partner". Asian Image. 26 March 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  14. ^ "My Jihad: a romcom that merits more exposure than BBC3's online future". the Guardian. 30 June 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  15. ^ "My Jihad". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  16. ^ "'Paranoid' episode guide: What happens next?". CultBox. 8 November 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d "Anjli Mohindra". www.bafta.org. 7 October 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Anjli Mohindra Interview | Netflix's Bodyguard". CROOKES Magazine. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Bodyguard most watched BBC drama since 2008". BBC News. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  20. ^ Bond, Kimberley (28 September 2018). "Why I turned down the role of Nadia in Bodyguard". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  21. ^ "The week in TV: The ABC Murders; Watership Down; You; The Dead Room; Mrs Brown's Boys". the Guardian. 30 December 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Profile | Spotlight". www.spotlight.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Behind the Beautiful Forevers review – a triumph for David Hare and Meera Syal". the Guardian. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  24. ^ Marlowe, Sam. "The Importance of Being Earnest at the Nottingham Playhouse". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  25. ^ Darvill, Josh (8 September 2019). "Noises Off cast confirmed for 2019 West End production". Stage Chat. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  26. ^ Gorman, Rachel (8 November 2018). "Nottingham's Bodyguard actress to star alongside Rob Lowe in new ITV drama". NottinghamshireLive. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  27. ^ "Skithra | Doctor Who | Doctor Who". www.doctorwho.tv. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  28. ^ Doctor Who Series 12: new director, actor, character discovered Andrea Laford, cultbox.com, 10 June 2019. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  29. ^ a b "'Very gay, very trans': the incredible Doctor Who spin-off that's breathing new life into the franchise". the Guardian. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  30. ^ a b "184. Doctor Who: Scavenger - Doctor Who - The Monthly Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  31. ^ a b "3. Doctor Who: Time War 3 - Doctor Who - The Eighth Doctor Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  32. ^ a b "270. Doctor Who: Shadow of the Daleks 2 - Doctor Who - The Monthly Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  33. ^ "Doctor Who's Anjli Mohindra makes writing debut with short film produced in lockdown". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  34. ^ Manning, Charlotte (6 September 2021). "Vigil becomes BBC's most watched new drama of 2021". Metro. Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  35. ^ "Anjli Mohindra". Voiceover Agency London - Anthea Represents. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  36. ^ Kanter, Jake (25 January 2021). "'I May Destroy You' Star Paapa Essiedu To Lead Sky 'Groundhog Day'-Style Action Thriller 'Extinction'". Deadline. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  37. ^ James, Liz Skone (1 June 2022). "Exclusive Interview: Anjli Mohindra". Fabric Magazine. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  38. ^ Cormack, Morgan (15 April 2024). "The Red King: Release date, trailer and latest news for Alibi drama". Radio Times. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  39. ^ "13. Bernice Summerfield: Road Trip - Bernice Summerfield - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  40. ^ "5. Gallifrey Series 05 - Gallifrey - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  41. ^ "SEASON 2". TUMANBAY. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  42. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Electric Decade, A Room of One's Own". BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  43. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Prostrate, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  44. ^ "Doctor Who: Wicked Sisters - Doctor Who - The Fifth Doctor Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  45. ^ "1.2. Doctor Who: Precious Annihilation - Big Finish". Big Finish. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  46. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Passenger List, The White Matchmaker". BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  47. ^ "2. Doctor Who: Stranded 2 - Doctor Who - The Eighth Doctor Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  48. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama, The Goldilocks Zone". BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  49. ^ "2. The Eighth of March 2: Protectors of Time - The Worlds of Doctor Who - Special Releases - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  50. ^ "Anjli Mohindra to return as Rani in Sarah Jane Adventures spin-off". Radio Times. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  51. ^ "Review: The Sarah Jane Adventures: AudioGo: Judgement Day". Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!. 5 November 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  52. ^ "Amazon.com: The Secret Lives of the Amir Sisters (Audible Audio Edition): Nadiya Hussain, Avita Jay, Anjli Mohindra, Maya Saroya, Aasiya Shah, HarperCollins Publishers Limited: Audible Books & Originals". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  53. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - How to Find Home, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  54. ^ "Amazon.com: The Million Pieces of Neena Gill (Audible Audio Edition): Emma Smith-Barton, Anjli Mohindra, Penguin Books Ltd : Audible Books & Originals". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  55. ^ Snaith, Mahsuda. The Panther's Tale.
  56. ^ "Amazon.com: The Things We Thought We Knew (Audible Audio Edition): Mahsuda Snaith, Anjli Mohindra, Audible Studios: Audible Books & Originals". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  57. ^ "Mrs Dalloway: Penguin Classics (Audio Download): Virginia Woolf, Anjli Mohindra, Penguin Audio : Amazon.co.uk: Books". www.amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
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