ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Charithra Chandran to voice CBeebies Show ‘Nikhil & Jay’
Charithra Chandran – famous for playing Edwina Sharma in Bridgerton – is set to voice a character in Nikhil & Jay.
Based on the books by Chitra Soundar, the animated series follows the journey of the two titular brothers.
They are both of Indian and British dual heritage.
Charithra will provide the voice for their mother Amma in the show.
The actress delved into her new role, highlighting the representation of the character.
She said: “It’s really wonderful to see a show like this on the BBC and to see my culture specifically represented.
“I never had anything like this when I was growing up.”
Kate Morton, Senior Head of Commissioning for CBeebies added:
“Seeing your life and all its traditions and values reflected on screen is so important for little ones and their development as they make sense of the world around them.
“Nikhil & Jay will bring viewers together from across cultures with heart-warming stories of British Asian family life.”
Seven-year-old actors Shiv Senthilkumar and Sai Ganesh Nadesa will debut as Nikhil and Jay respectively.
In the show, Nikhil and Jay’s mother is Indian while their father is British.
With grandparents of dual heritage too, their lives are a cultural blend of traditions, food, and music.
Charithra Chandran began her forays into television with Alex Rider (2021), where she played Sabina Pleasance.
She came to prominence with Bridgerton. She featured in the second season.
Talking about the Netflix series, Charithra explained: “I think good art is one that provokes conversation.
“And I think this season, viewers will react differently to different characters.
“There will be some people sympathising and some people criticising.
“And I think anything that can invoke that kind of conversation is what’s really interesting.”
She also divulged the way she introduced her culture to broader circles.
The actress said: “Slowly, I started introducing my identity more publicly in Sixth Form.
“We’d bring our own food in and I’d start bringing Indian food for lunch.
“I’d start posting about wearing traditional clothing. I’d start sharing my holidays in India and what we did there.
“And you know what? The response from my friends was amazing.”
“They loved being able to kind of share my culture through me and learn more about it.
“I started to embrace it and it made me feel so confident and comfortable being who I am.”
For such progressive thinking, Charithra Chandan should be lauded.
Nikhil & Jay is set to premiere later in 2024.
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