Aysha Kala

Aysha Kala (born 1990/1991) is an English actress and theatre maker. On television, she is known for her roles in the Channel 4 series Shameless (2011) and Indian Summers (2015–2016). She was named a 2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.[1]

Aysha Kala
Born1990/1991
Alma materRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama
Years active2011–present

Early life

Kala grew up in Snaresbrook, East London.[2] Her father is Gujarati Muslim.[3]

Kala attended Chigwell School.[4] She graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2013.[5][6]

Career

Kala made her television debut in 2011 when she joined the cast of Shameless on Channel 4 for its eighth series as Sita Desai. She then made her professional stage debut in 2012 with roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Much Ado About Nothing in Stratford-upon-Avon, for which she received an Ian Charleson Award nomination, and Khadija is 18 at the Finborough Theatre, for which she was nominated for an Off West End Award.

Upon graduating from drama school in 2013, Kala made her feature film debut in the comedy Jadoo. She also appeared in Farragut North at Southwark Playhouse and Djinns Of Eidgah at the Royal Court Theatre.

In 2015 and 2016, Kala had a main role as Sooni Dalal in the Channel 4 drama Indian Summers.[7]

In the years following, Kala did more theatre, including PunkPlay at Southwark Playhouse in 2016, Obsession at the Barbican Theatre in 2017, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Theatre Royal, Bath in 2019, and The Welkin at the National Theatre in 2020. Kala returned to television in 2021 with guest appearances in the BBC series Call the Midwife and the Netflix series Master of None. This was followed in 2022 by recurring roles in Man vs. Bee, also on Netflix, and the Channel 4 thriller The Undeclared War.

Kala returned to the National Theatre in 2023 when she originated the role of Jessica Levy in The Motive and the Cue, directed by Sam Mendes, and took over the role of Vimala in The Father and the Assassin.[8] She has upcoming roles in the Apple TV+ series Criminal Record and the Paramount+ series The Doll Factory.

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2013 Jadoo Seema Chandana 8 episodes (series 8)
2014 Second Coming Waitress
2015 Exmas Ice Queen Short film
2019 Osama Bin Hiding Myra Short film
Home Girl Roya Short film
The Deranged Marriage Sona Short film

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Shameless Sita Desai 8 episodes (series 8)
2013 Vicious Emma Episode: "Clubbing"
2015–2016 Indian Summers Sooni Dalal Main role
2021 Call the Midwife Sarita Gupta 1 episode
Master of None Reshmi Episode: "Moments in Love, Chapter 1"
2022 Man vs. Bee Detective 2 episodes
The Undeclared War Amina 3 episodes
2023 The Doll Factory
TBA Criminal Record Sonya Singh

Stage
Year Title Role Notes
2012 Much Ado About Nothing Maid Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Khadija is 18 Khadija Finborough Theatre, London
2013 Farragut North Molly Southwark Playhouse, London
Djinns Of Eidgah Ashrafi Royal Court Theatre, London[9]
2016 PunkPlay Various Southwark Playhouse, London
2017 Obsession Anita Barbican Theatre, London
2018 Frogman Fiona Shoreditch Town Hall, London
An Adventure Sonal / Joy Bush Theatre, London
2019 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Nina Theatre Royal, Bath
2020 The Welkin Peg Taylor National Theatre, London
2021 Under the Mask Rose Theatre, Kingston[10]
2022 Scandaltown Hannah Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
2023 The Motive and the Cue Jessica Levy National Theatre, London
The Father and the Assassin Vimala

Audio
Year Title Role Notes
2015 Earthsea Tenar BBC Radio 4
2015 The City of Woven Streets Narrator Novel by Emmi Itäranta
2016 Radio Silence Narrator Novel by Alice Oseman
2018 I Was Born for This Narrator Novel by Alice Oseman

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2012 Off West End Awards Plays: Female Performance Khadija is 18 Nominated [11]
2013 Ian Charleson Awards Much Ado About Nothing Nominated

References
  1. "Aysha Kala". BAFTA. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  2. "2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits, in partnership with Burberry" (PDF). BAFTA. 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  3. "Aysha Kala is priming for her TV reign". Elle India. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  4. "Drama". Chigwell Newsletter Autumn 2015. 2 September 2015. p. 14. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  5. "Aysha Kala". #RWCMD. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  6. "Cardiff student snags Shameless role". Wales Online. 9 January 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  7. Ashenden, Amy; Earle, Toby (24 March 2015). "Aysha Kala from Channel 4's Indian Summers: 'Sooni Dalal is in a bit of a love triangle'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  8. "Aysha Kala". National Theatre. April 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  9. "Aysha Kala". Royal Court Theatre. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  10. "Cast & Creative - Under the Mask: Aysha Kala". Rose Theatre. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
  11. "2012: Full Run: Plays: Female Performance – Aysha Kala – Khadija is 18". Offies. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
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