Dame Meera Syal has spoken about the unusual circumstances of her marriage to actor Sanjeev Bhaskar, her on-screen grandson in the popular BBC sitcom "The Kumars at No. 42." Syal, who was cast as the grandmother Sushil 'Ummi' Kumar when she was just 40 years old, described the situation as "a bit weird."
"I mean, it was a bit weird that the man I would go on to marry was playing my grandson," Syal said during an appearance on The Dish Podcast. "But that's acting, isn't it? That's acting."
Syal and Bhaskar, who is now 62, met while working on the sketch comedy series "Goodness Gracious Me" from 1996 to 2001. Their friendship eventually evolved into a romance. They officially became a couple during a flight to Australia in 2003, a journey Bhaskar has said allowed them to realize their feelings for each other.
The couple married in January 2005 in a private ceremony in Staffordshire. They share a son, Shaan, who is 20 years old. Syal also has a daughter, Chameli, from her previous marriage to journalist Shekhar Bhatia, which ended in 2002.
Syal also discussed her casting as a grandmother at a relatively young age. She explained that the character of Ummi Kumar required strong improvisational skills, and the production team had auditioned older actresses who lacked that ability. Syal found the character, described as a "hand grenade of a granny" who was "provocative, mischievous, flirty" and "internet savvy," to be an appealing role.
"The Kumars at No. 42" aired from 2001 to 2006. Syal also shared an anecdote that Queen Elizabeth II was a fan of the show, reportedly finding the character of Ummi to be very funny.