Dame Meera Syal has spoken for the first time about being sexually assaulted by a fellow actor early on in her career.
The legendary British screen star, 65, entered the industry in the 1980s, appearing in various TV mini-series and one-off roles, but as with any early-career creative, there were points where she questioned if she was going to break into the entertainment industry.
In a new interview, she revealed that while working as a jazz singer in Covent Garden, ready to move home to the West Midlands again, she was invited to a gathering by an established older Asian actor – a similar age to her father – who had connections with casting directors.
In the hopes of giving her career a boost, she accepted his invitation. However, soon after arriving, she was left totally alone with the unnamed actor who, she revealed, tried to rape her after dinner.
According to The Times, she ‘froze in fear but managed to clamp her legs together’, though the actor continued his sexual assault.
After leaving his home, getting in a cab and returning to her friend’s home where she was crashing, she never reported the incident. She wanted to save her parents from having to witness a public criminal trial, and, instead, told no one about what happened that night.
Only many years later did she speak to close female friends about her experience, who shared similar experiences of their own.
‘This is the first time I’ve spoken about this publicly,’ the star shared.
She continued: ‘It completely changed my life and the direction of my career. I could have given up, but instead I sought out a group of South Asian writers.
‘They encouraged me to write more, they found me a place to live, they healed me and awakened me politically.’
By the mid-1990s she was well on the way to establishing herself as a household name, with game-changing shows like Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars at No. 42.
She explained that during her processing of the sexual assault, she was inspired to write strong female characters, which became the defining feature of these iconic shows.
She acknowledged, however, that the British TV industry has changed, perhaps not for the better, since the late 90s and early 00s.
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