Ayesha Dharker (born 16 March 1978) is a British actress, known for her appearance as Queen Jamillia, the Queen of Naboo, in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, and for her stage performances.
Her other film roles include starring as a young woman brainwashed into contemplating becoming a suicide bomber in the Tamil film The Terrorist (1997), for which she was awarded Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival and nominated for a National Film Award for Best Actress.
She has also appeared in Outsourced and The Mistress of Spices, television series such as Arabian Nights, and the West End and Broadway musical Bombay Dreams.
Family Dharker was born on 16 March 1978 in Mumbai, India.
She is the daughter of Imtiaz Dharker, a poet, artist and documentary film-maker, and Anil Dharker, a columnist and an ex-editor of the Indian men's magazine Debonair.SAWNET: Who's Who: Ayesha Dharker Her father is from India and her mother, born in Lahore, was also raised in the United Kingdom.
In May 2010 she married Robert Taylor in St Giles Cripplegate, London.
Career Dharker made her screen debut in the 1989 François Villiers film Manika, une vie plus tard. She subsequently went on to star in many American, French and Indian films. She has had many television roles in the UK, particularly in Cutting It and Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee, in which she co-starred with Meera Syal.
In the international award-winning film The Terrorist (1999), she played the lead character Malli, a role that earned her a nomination for the National Film Award for Best Actress in India and the Cairo Film Festival award for Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress.
Dharker's most internationally recognised role came in 2002 when she played Queen Jamillia, the Queen of Naboo, in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. In the same year she appeared in the critically acclaimed Anita and Me. Dharker starred in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Bombay Dreams, both in London's West End and on Broadway (2004). She also starred in The Mistress of Spices (2005).
She has appeared in the episode "Planet of the Ood" of the long-running BBC sci-fi television series, Doctor Who as Solana Mercurio.
In 2006, she played the role of Asha in the film Outsourced.
In 2008, she played the role of Tara Mandal in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.Indian actress cast ITV
In 2010, she played doctor's wife Kamini Sharma opposite Sanjeev Bhaskar in the BBC's comedy-drama series The Indian Doctor.
In 2017, Dharker began playing Nina Karnik in a returning role on the long-running BBC drama Holby City.
In 2020, she appeared as Dr Sarai in The Father, which was nominated for an Academy Award. On 16 January 2022, Dharker appeared in Vera in the episode "As the Crow Flies" in the role of Anika Naidu.
Audiobooks
Dharker was the narrator for the audiobook version of Brick Lane by Monica Ali (2003).
Filmography
Films Year Film Role Notes 1989 Manika, une vie plus tard Manika Kallatil 1992 City of Joy Amrita H. Pal 1997 Saaz Kuhu Vrundavan 1999 Split Wide Open Leela The Terrorist Malli Cairo International Film Festival Award for Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress 2000 The Mystic Masseur Leela 2002 Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones Queen Jamillia 2002 Anita and Me Daljeet Kumar 2005 The Mistress of Spices Hameeda Colour Me Kubrick Dr. Stukeley 2006 Outsourced Asha Bhatawdekar 2007 Loins of Punjab Presents Opama Menon 2010 Red Alert: The War Within Radhakka 2020 The Father Dr. Sarai
Television Year Title Role Notes 1991 Young girl 1995 A Mouthful of Sky 2000 Arabian Nights Coral Lips 2001 Doctors Meena Chauhan 2002 Cutting It Sunni Khadir 2003 Life Isn't All Ha Ha Hee Hee Chila Doctors Mina Patel 2005 Waking the Dead Mary Sharman "Subterraneans" S5:E5&6 2008 Doctor Who Solana Mercurio Episode: "Planet of the Ood" 2008–09 Coronation Street Tara Mandal 2010-2013 The Indian Doctor Kamini Sharma 2015 Waterloo Road Yasmeen Khan2017Holby CityNina KarnikRegular Role2021Finding Alice Tanvi Lal
Theatre YearTitleRoleNotes1993 Final Solutions DakshaNCPA2001 The Ramayana Sita Birmingham Rep/Royal National Theatre2002 Bombay Dreams Rani Apollo2006 Doctor Faustus Mephistophilis Bristol Old Vic2010Arabian NightsShaharazadeRoyal Shakespeare Company2010DisconnectVidyaRoyal Court2013 The Djinns of EidgahDr WaniRoyal Court2015OthelloEmiliaRoyal Shakespeare Company2015Anita and MeDaljitBirmingham Rep / Theatre Royal Stratford East2016A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Play for the NationTitaniaRoyal Shakespeare Company2016The Island NationArcola2017Hijabi MonologuesBush Theatre 2018 Pericles SimonidaOlivier Theatre2019 Richard IIAumerleSam Wanamaker Playhouse2022The Book of Dust – La Belle SauvageMarisa CoulterBridge Theatre
References
External links
Ayesha Dharker and Manu Narayan – Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org