Mine is the only Indian character in Hollyoaks: Amrit Maghera

Amrit Maghera, who will soon be seen in Angry Indian Goddesses, won’t be here for the premiere of the film that releases this week. The actress has just made her international TV debut in Hollyoaks and has flown back to UK for the shoot. Amrit, who is half-Indian, half-British, plays the role of Neeta Kaur, “the only Indian character in the show”. Says Amrit, “Hollyoaks is a long-running popular daily show and it has been on air for two decades. On its 20th anniversary they introduced some new characters and Neeta is one of them!”

It was the international acclaim of Angry Indian Godesses that helped Amrit get her a break in the Hollywood TV show. Says the actress, “I had done a couple of films, but AIG was my first international film. I did a lot of acting workshops for it, which helped me.” Yet, it was only after three-four auditions that she landed a role in Hollyoaks.

Amrit as Neeta is shown to be in love with a man Mac Nightingale who is 25 years older to her! “So far, I have been co-starring with young guys, so this is completely different. But David Easter (co-star) is lovely and is encouraging. He gives me a lot of advice off screen as he is older and wiser. On screen we are comfortable with each other.” Ask her if she shares any traits with Neeta and she says, “Neeta is far away from me. She dresses differently, is gullible and doesn’t even realise when someone’s nasty to her. In her head, she is the most clever person. I had to change my body language and voice for the role.”  However, it is AIG’s character Joanna that Amrit identifies with more. “She is free-spirited and one with nature like me,” she smiles.