7 Surprising Facts About Sanjeev Bhaskar
In the cold case drama Unforgotten, Sanjeev Bhaskar stars as compassionate DI “Sunny” Khan, who takes viewers on an ever-emotional journey towards justice. But did you know Bhaskar’s entertainment career began in musical comedy, or that he’s written a bestseller? From early days as a comic to his role as a university chancellor, discover seven genuinely remarkable facts about this playful and multi-faceted individual.
- 1.
He Began his Entertainment Career as a Comic
Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, Kulvinder Ghir, and Nina Wadia in Goodness Gracious Me, 1998. © British Broadcasting Corporation Sanjeev Bhaskar thoroughly explored comedy before ever considering dramatic roles. As a kid, he relished putting on silly skits at family gatherings, but at college studied business and then worked in marketing at IBM, Bhaskar told the Financial Times (UK). It was in his early 30s that he decided he preferred farcical satire and started collaborating in musical comedy with a college friend. The pair’s routines explored British Asian culture and rave reviews led to putting their work on Radio 4 (and later television) in a program called Goodness Gracious Me.
- 2.
He’s Written 2 Hit Comedy Series
Vincent Ebrahim, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal, and Indira Joshi, stars of The Kumars at No. 42 Bhaskar became a “household name” in Britain after starring in back-to-back comedy television shows, according to The Guardian (UK). First, Goodness Gracious Me moved from radio to the BBC where it enjoyed a three-year run. He followed up that success by co-creating the zany satire, The Kumars at No. 42, in which he plays a hapless character trying to host a celebrity talk show from his parents’ living room. Over seven seasons, guests ranged from Minnie Driver and Daniel Radcliff to Tom Jones and Donny Osmond. The beloved series earned International Emmy Awards in 2002 and 20203, followed by a Peabody Award in 2004.
- 3.
Bhaskar Frequently Co-Stars with Wife Meera Syal
Meera Syal and Sanjeev Bhaskar in 2015 The talented duo first met creating the sketches for Goodness Gracious Me when it aired on the BBC. Meera Syal later played the granny character in The Kumars at No. 42. After a long friendship, the couple married in 2005. They have a son together and Bhaskar is stepfather to Syal’s daughter, according to The Telegraph (UK). The pair work often with each other and have appeared in Paddington 2, the romantic comedy Yesterday, and The Sandman, among other productions.
- 4.
He’s an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire
Bhaskar and wife Meera Syal at Buckingham Palace after he received an OBE Bhaskar was awarded the “OBE” in 2005 for his contributions to the arts and entertainment, according to the Financial Times (UK). Ten years later, his wife Meera Syal received the higher appointment of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (or CBE) at Buckingham Palace.
- 5.
He’s Written a Bestseller
By Sanjeev Bhaskar; Harper Collins Publishing (2007) Bhaskar authored India with Sanjeev Bhaskar: One Man’s Personal Journey Round the Subcontinent after hosting a BBC2 documentary series by the same name. The show’s companion book became a Sunday Times (UK) bestseller. In it, Bhaskar describes a highly personal journey through India, comparing stories his Indian immigrant parents told him as a boy to the modern reality, according to publisher HarperCollins.
- 6.
His Photo is in London’s National Portrait Gallery
Interior at the National Portrait Gallery entrance, London A black-and-white portrait of the actor taken by photographer Pete Millson is in the Gallery’s permanent collection. Millson actually had six works purchased by the National Portrait Gallery in 2009, according to the Gallery’s website. Beyond his 2002 image of Bhaskar are those of composer Michael Nyman; musician Bert Jansch; actor, comedian, and song writer Keith Allen; artist Billy Childish; and, The Kinks’ musician Ray Davies.
- 7.
Bhaskar is Chancellor of the University of Sussex
Sanjeev Bhaskar center stage at graduation ceremony, 2010 He became the fifth Chancellor of the University of Sussex in 2009. Bhaskar delights in his role of handing out diplomas, accepting hugs from graduates, and taking selfies, and he makes a point to greet every student by name. “Sussex ceremonies are unpredictable and raucous and energizing, and who wouldn’t want to be part of that? … Given that I’d applied to Sussex and hadn’t got in, that irony is just a wonderful one actually,” he says on the school’s website. Bhaskar was awarded an honorary doctorate from the university in recognition of his tenth year as Chancellor in 2019.
