SANJEEV BHASKAR

Born in London in 1963, Sanjeev Bhaskar is a British comedian, actor, presenter and broadcaster.40 Bhaskar is married to fellow comedienne and actress Meera Syal and they have one child together. Bhaskar is a big fan of the Beatles and Elvis. Bhaskar earned a Marketing degree from Hatfield Polytechnic before joining with his good friend Nitin Sawhney to start a musical comedy double act called 'The Secret Indians (non-Asian)' which eventually led to him being approached by Anil Gupta the producer of what was to be Goodness Gracious Me. Bhaskar was co-creator alongside Anil Gupta and his future wife Meera Syal. Goodness Gracious Me went on to win numerous awards including Best Entertainment at the Broadcasting Press Guild and Team Award from the Royal Television Society. In 2003 Bhaskar was nominated for a Bafta Award for his work on The Kumar's at No. 42. In 2005 Bhaskar was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Sanjeev Bhaskar, amongst other things has written and starred in Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at No.42 and Mumbai Calling. He has also acted in a number of TV shows and films, including The Real McCoy, Notting Hill, The Mystic Masseur, Anita and Me, the Guru and Doctor Who. Bhaskar is also an Ambassador of the British Asian Trust and was in fact part of the advisory group that conceptualised the Trust for HRH The Prince of Wales. Bhaskar co-founded Avatar Film and Television Production in 2007 with Deep Sehgal after they made the hit BBC series India with Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Praise for Sanjeev Bhaskar

Alongside his work as an actor, writer and broadcaster, Sanjeev Bhasker is also a Chancellor at Sussex University. The University's Chair of Council Simon Fanshawe said: "In appointing Sanjeev Bhaskar, the University is making a powerful statement that Sussex is looking to its future. In mid-career, he has made a considerable impact in his field and is on the cusp of greater achievement."