Entertainment

Ambika Mod Warns of Rising ‘Glass Ceiling’ for South Asian Actors

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

Ambika Mod, 31, from Hatfield, said to BBC Newsbeat that the "glass ceiling" for South Asian actors is getting higher. The actress, whose career has spanned roles such as Shruti in the BBC medical drama This Is Going To Hurt (2022) and Emma Morley in Netflix’s One Day, is now joining the second season of the spy thriller Black Doves. Mod, the daughter of Indian immigrants, said a "central tenet" of her work is to change how South Asian women are portrayed on screen.

She has previously spoken about lacking the same privileges that some of her fellow actors enjoy when it comes to roles. Fans have questioned why she has not appeared in as many roles as her One Day co‑star Leo Woodall, who has since appeared in major films such as Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy and A24’s Anthony Bourdain biopic Tony. When asked about this, Mod said she believes there is "definitely an issue in this industry with systemic racism" and that it is "really hard for South Asian actors to push through".

A report from the Creative Diversity Network suggested that representation of minority ethnic groups on and off screen dropped slightly last year after a few years of improvement. Similar research from media watchdog Ofcom found that people from minority ethnic groups account for only 11% of senior management roles in the UK broadcasting industry and are under‑represented in creative, production and on‑screen roles.

Mod said she does not know if on‑screen representation is changing, but she will not take a role if she thinks it is tokenistic or stereotypical. "I’ve been very, very lucky in my career so far to play really complex, meaty roles and to have changed the narrative in many ways," she said. "And I’m not looking to regress."

When considering her next projects, Mod said she follows advice from Dame Emma Thompson: "There’s no such thing as a career, there’s only what you do next." She focuses on the new challenge, the people she wants to work with and what will be fun.

Her latest role as Laila, a lawless agent in Black Doves, attracted her because it subverts many espionage genre tropes. The character is introduced in season two to assist Keira Knightley’s agent Helen on a high‑stakes mission. Mod said it was "such a good time" working with Knightley and doing extreme stunt sequences. "Honestly, the main reason I wanted to do it was because of all the stunts," she said. "Really badass but it was so much fun."

The thriller also has a dark humour that aligns with Mod’s dry wit. Her comedic career began when she was 18 and she was part of Durham University’s sketch comedy group. Although she has not done stand‑up for about five years, she said she would "love" to do more comedy in the future, adding that she has a lot of stories to tell.