BBC Asian Network News<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When new Doctor Who companion Varada Sethu first told her family she wanted to be an actress, there wasn’t immediate support.<\/p>\n “They had difficulty coming to terms with it initially,” she tells BBC Asian Network News.<\/p>\n Varada, who will be playing Ncuti Gatwa’s sidekick, Belinda Chandra in the upcoming series, feels going into acting is “sadly still not encouraged in the South Asian community”.<\/p>\n “There’s an element of resistance we face,” the 32-year-old says.<\/p>\n But Varada wants to change all of that, and says inspiring young girls to follow their dreams is one of her big goals.<\/p>\n “I want to be the person that these girls can point out to and say: ‘She made it and she came from a community that looks like mine’.<\/p>\n “So I think I’ve gone about this with the energy of, I can’t fall flat on my face,” she says.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But the actress, who has had roles in Disney+ Star Wars series Andor, 2018 crime drama Hard Sun and Jurassic World Dominion, says change comes with challenges.<\/p>\n A report by the Creative Diversity Network<\/a> found in 2022\/23 the percentage of on-screen contributions by those who identify as South Asian or South Asian British was 4.9%. <\/p>\n That’s compared with the latest census data, analysed by the UK Government<\/a>, that found around 8% of people from those backgrounds are in the working-age population.<\/p>\n “It’s a constant battle of failure isn’t an option,” says Varada.<\/p>\n “Because, you know, your uncle’s daughter who’s six, who might wanna go into acting when she’s a bit older, won’t be allowed to, if I become the cautionary tale.”<\/p>\n Despite that, Varada says she tries not to put too much pressure on herself while filming.<\/p>\n Rather, she tries to stay authentic to her true self instead of getting caught up in the moment.<\/p>\n “Occasionally it does hit me in my face like ‘oh, that’s a lot, that’s a big thing that’s happening’, she says.<\/p>\n “But I try not to get swept up in it. You know, I try to just do the best I can.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Playing the role of Belinda in Doctor Who has been an “honour”, Varada says.<\/p>\n “Everyone’s heard of Doctor Who, everyone knows of Doctor Who, even if you don’t regularly watch it.<\/p>\n “It’s so iconic and British, and it’s such a part of our culture.” <\/p>\n Praising Ncuti Gatwa for the “energy he brings to the role”, she describes him as inspiring to watch work and “an absolute joy” to work with.<\/p>\n Her character Belinda travels to a number of different planets and time periods after asking the doctor for help to get home, which Varada says was the most exciting thing about the role. <\/p>\n “This character is discovering all these different sides to herself in circumstances that, no human gets to experience in real life.” <\/p>\n And she says some of her character’s “feisty” and “independent” traits have helped her in her real life.<\/p>\n “As an actor you get to practice saying things that you maybe you wouldn’t be as brave in saying.<\/p>\n “And it’s safer because you know what the other person is going to say, but you know, your nervous system gets used to that.<\/p>\n “I think with each character I play, I discover a new chapter about myself as well.<\/p>\n “And Belinda’s taught me a lot about that,” she says. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Doctor Who Season 2 is set to premiere on Saturday 12 April 2025, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, with those outside of the UK able to watch on Disney+.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Listen to Ankur Desai’s show on BBC Asian Network live<\/a> from 15:00-18:00 Monday to Thursday – or listen back here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/5301\/live\/766a4660-ff69-11ef-b50e-9d086302645f.jpg.webp\")
BBC Studios\/Disney\/Bad Wolf\/James Pardon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png\")
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BBC Studios\/Lara Cornell<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"BBC](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/c274\/live\/be093c60-ff69-11ef-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp\")
BBC Studios\/Disney\/Bad Wolf\/James Pardon<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/ab7d\/live\/02863940-ff67-11ef-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp\")
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