Much love for Dame Meera Syal, other honours’ list personalities also speak
History making honour for artist and former England woman cricketer recognised too…
WRITER & ACTOR Meera Syal has been made a Dame in King Charles New Year’s Honour List.
Already a CBE, Syal is the first Asian woman from the arts to be bestowed with a Damehood.
She said her late parents would have been extremely proud of their daughter’s achievements, which span books, a groundbreaking musical and acting in theatre, TV and film.
“I hope they know that I accept this huge honour in their memory and in tribute to extraordinary generation who lived through Empire, Partition and emigration to the UK and who made so many sacrifices so that their children, like me, could thrive and take flight,” she told Eastern Eye.
She said that despite them not being around, she would continue to follow what they inspired in her – “curiosity, perseverance, and compassion”.
On her own Instagram account, she shared a post from the South Asian Beauty Collective, of which she is a part – it is a group that celebrates South Asian Representation in Beauty. Broadcaster Ranvir Singh who appeared on ‘This Morning’ earlier today, shared her joy of Syal being named a Dame.
The Instagram post from the collective reads: “One of the original British South Asian voices so many of us grew up connecting with has officially been honoured at the highest level. The recognition couldn’t be more deserved: she paved the way long before representation was a mainstream conversation, and she’s still opening doors today.”
Writer and journalist Shekhar Bhatia, who was married to Syal, paid warm tribute to the National Theatre ‘Tupperware of Ashes’ star.
In a personal Facebook post, he said it had been the news he had been long waiting to share.
“I’m so proud of Meera. She is a wonderful mother and wonderful ex-wife and truly my best friend. She is an incredible artist, sings jazz beautifully, is an incredible humanist and just a level-headed, humble human being who so richly deserves this honour bestowed upon her.”
He told his friends and followers that her motto had always been: “Let me Surprise you”, and used to joke that one day she would be “DMS”.
Barrie Keeffe, the screenwriter behind the British classic gangster film, ‘The Long Good Friday’ had insisted on radio that Syal would become the “first Asian Dame of the theatre”, Bhatia wrote.
He also said more people are approach Meera and ask: “Are you Milli Bhatia’s Mum?” Milli is a fast rising star in her own right as a director of ground-breaking and new theatre.
He ended his post, commenting: “I hope you join me in celebrating this superbly talented actor and writer, the daughter of migrants from India. I just wish my parents and her parents were around to join in.”
Scores of people responded to the post and commended Bhatia for his heartfelt tribute.
In the official citation, Syal was awarded her Damehood as a “Comedian, Writer, and Actor. For services to Literature, to Drama and to Charity.”
Her most recent broadcast work is ‘The Revenge Club’ for Paramount+.
She received huge critical acclaim for her starring role in Tanika Gupta’s sweeping life story drama, ‘A Tupperware of Ashes’ which played at the National Theatre last year.
She is probably best known for her roles in ‘The Kumars at No.42’, where she played the grandmother to Sanjeev Bhasker, as a single chat show host, who quizzed his guests in his make believe Wembley suburban home. The international award-winning show was something of a follow-on from the hugely successful and ground-breaking comedy sketch show, ‘Goodness Gracious Me’.
Syal also has written three acclaimed novels – her first, the loose autobiographically inspired, ‘Anita and Me’ (1996) was also made into a film as well and won the Betty Trask Award.
Her second ‘Life Isn’t All Ha Ha Hee Hee’ (1999) and the more recent, ‘The House of Hidden Mothers’ (2015) have been well received. She is understood to be finishing her autobiography/memoir.
She grew up in Essington, a village in Staffordshire before moving to Walsall, Birmingham and studied Drama at Manchester University, attaining a double first. She took a one-woman show to Edinburgh and performed it at the Royal Court in London and wrote the screenplay for Gurinder Chadha’s debut fiction film, ‘Bhaji on the Beach’ (1993). She also wrote the story for ‘Bombay Dreams‘, the smash musical that brought Indian composer AR Rahman and Bollywood to the West End.
Another well-known TV personality recognised with an MBE is cricket presenter and former England cricketer Isa Guha. She is awarded the MBE for her services to “Inclusivity and Cricket” and as chair and founder of a charity which encourages more women to get involved in sport, called Take Her Lead. As well as being the first South Asian woman to represent England in any sport, she has also been the face of TV coverage Down Under as England’s cricket team battle to restore some pride, having already conceded the Ashes to Australia and trail 3-1 with the fifth and final Test starting in Sydney on Sunday (January 4).
She told Australia’s foxsports.com: “It is obviously really special. You don’t set out to be acknowledged like that or be recognised like that. My mum would tell me that when nice things come, gratefully receive them and I am very grateful for this honour.”
Elsewhere in the arts, maths teacher, library advocate and TV celebrity Bobby Seagull was awarded an MBE. He spoke to us about Festival UK 2022, during the pandemic in 2020.
Pioneering fashion entrepreneur and designer Mani Kohli was also awarded an MBE for services to fashion.
She said: “Looking back on nearly 48 years in London, receiving the MBE feels deeply humbling.
“My journey began in adversity, but it was shaped by resilience, community and belief. This recognition reflects not just my story, but the many people and communities who walked alongside me.”
Arriving in the UK as a bride and in a marriage that broke down, she began her career in fashion in 1977 and built her business with the help of her children – including well-known men’s designer, Saran Kohli.
Her Khubsoorat Collection was launched in the mid 1980s and was created to meet the “critical gap in the market for South Asian womenswear that balanced Indian heritage in Western sensibilities”.
Her designs have been worn by a host of celebrities and feature in Chadha’s seminal, ‘Bend it Like Beckham‘ (2002).
Also among the other awardees known to www.asianculturevulture.com is Dhruv Patel.
He is awarded a CBE in the 2026 Honours List. His services to charity have been recognised and follows on from his OBE in 2018. He was presented this for his voluntary service to the Hindu community.
He possesses a deep sense of seva – a Sanskrit word which means selfless service and also stands for a sense of duty and obligation some feel towards Humanity as a whole.
He said: “I am deeply humbled by this honour and accept it with a profound sense of duty to King and Country.
“This recognition is not mine alone. I accept it on behalf of everyone who has been touched by the great institutions, communities and causes that I have had the privilege to serve and contribute to many years.”
He runs a family business which covers retail pharmacy, and residential property development.
Patel currently serves as the President of United Wards Club. This is a historic organisation which represents the City of London and has number of charitable and social initiatives.
For more, see links below…
Meera Syal – Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/meera.syal/
Eastern Eye – https://www.easterneye.biz/new-year-honours-list-2026/
Isa Guha – Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/isaguha/
