Dame Meera Syal said she "almost gave up" her acting career after encountering sexual harassment and assault by two men in the media industry during her 20s. In an interview with BBC Asian Network, the Wolverhampton-born actress described being out of work and homeless when the incidents occurred in quick succession. Both experiences were detailed in her newly published memoir, Vigilauntie.
Syal said the first incident involved a theatre director who suggested he would offer her a pantomime role in exchange for sexual acts. She refused and was able to leave. Weeks later, an older male actor invited her to his home under the pretense of helping her career and assaulted her, she wrote in the book. She did not report either incident to police or tell family and friends, noting it was the culture of the industry at the time.
Rather than leave the profession, Syal said the experiences prompted her to seek support from women's groups. She became involved with the Newham Asian Women's Project and Southall Black Sisters, and began campaigning on these issues. "All of that came from the fury I felt at what had happened to me. It did change the course of my life," she said.
Now 65, Syal rose to prominence in the 1990s as part of the sketch comedy show Goodness Gracious Me and later starred in The Kumars at No 42. She wrote the screenplay for Bhaji On The Beach and co-wrote Andrew Lloyd Webber's Bombay Dreams. She was appointed a dame in the King's New Year Honours last year for her services to literature, drama and charity.
