This Is Going to Hurt's Ambika Mod talks "rare" South Asian representation
The This Is Going to Hurt star has said that characters like Shruti are "rare to see".
This Is Going to Hurt star Ambika Mod has praised the upcoming BBC One drama for featuring a young South Asian woman as a main character, adding that such representation is "quite rare to see".
The seven-part drama, which is based on Adam Kay's best-selling book of the same name, stars Ben Whishaw as obstetrics and gynaecology doctor Adam, while Mod plays his protégé Shruti in the This Is Going to Hurt cast.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com in an exclusive interview, the comedian and actor spoke about what she brought to the character of Shruti, who does not feature in Kay's original book This Is Going to Hurt.
"I mean, first of all, I think she's just an amazing written character already," Mod said. "She was so interesting. She was so complex [with] an amazing arc and I thought that was quite rare to see, a part for a young South Asian woman, to see a part like that which is so meaty and interesting in her own right.
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"But definitely I feel my opinions and my thoughts on her character and her journey were heard and definitely taken into account as the series progressed."
She added that she doesn't think she is personally similar to her character on the show, saying: "I think Shruti is very different to me, she's very sweet and empathetic and compassionate.
"Now I'm making me sound like a b***h," she laughed. "She's just, you know, she's a good doctor. And because she is so different from me, it took some discussions with Adam and [director] Lucy [Forbes] to really find that essence of her. But honestly, it was really all there in the writing and I didn't have to do a whole load of character analysis."
This Is Going to Hurt airs on Tuesday 8th February at 9pm on BBC One. While you’re waiting visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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