Shivani Ghai
Encyclopedia
Shivani Ghai is a British actress of Indian origin. Born and brought up in Newcastle
, at 18 Shivani moved away to pursue an acting career.
she started out in theatre
working for companies such as Man Mela, Rifco and Kali.
She then broke in to TV with minor parts in shows such as 'Doctors', 'Spooks
' and 'The Bill
.
In 2003 she was cast as the guest lead in an American adventure series 'Adventures inc' alongside Michael Biehn
.
Later the same year Gurinder Chadha
picked Shivani out at a script reading and cast her as the Bride and best friend of Ashwarya Rai in 'Bride and Prejudice
'.
The next couple of years were spent working, on BBC shows such as 'My Hero' and 'Sinchronicity
', short films, theatre and commercials. And then in 2006 Shivani was cast as Sarita Dhavi in Rai Uno
's 'Medico In Famiglia 5'.
One of Italy
's most popular TV shows was introducing the first Indian family to Italian TV, and they were looking for an Indian actress fluent in Italian
to play the new lead and love interest. After an unsuccessful search in Italy they decided to look at actresses from India
and England
. With no previous knowledge of the language Shivani prepared a couple of scenes in Italian for her audition. She got the job and spent the next seven months filming in Rome.
When the show came out Shivani' s Sarita was hugely popular, and Italian audiences had no idea that Shivani hadn’t been able to speak the language previous to filming.
Filming for Medico ended in March 2007, a few months later Shivani was flying to Tunisia
to work on the HBO/BBC co production House of Saddam
, where she played Saddam Hussein
's middle daughter Rana
. The miniseries aired September 2008. It was a huge success with the critics, and received BAFTA and EMMY nominations.
In 2009, Shivani filmed a guest lead as Jamilla Sagar, in a soon to be aired new series called Identity, starring Aidan Gillen
and Keeley Hawes
.
She also filmed a five part drama called Five Days II (sequel to Bafta and Golden globe nominated Five days). Shivani played Nusrat Preston, a character described as being at the heart of the serial. She was also singled out in some of the press for managing to stand out amongst an excellent ensemble cast that included Suranne Jones
, Anne Reid
, David Morrissey
, Bernard Hill
, and Steve Evets
.
She has just finished filming the feature film
called Cleanskin
, starring Sean Bean
and Charlotte Rampling
. Due to be released 2011.
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, at 18 Shivani moved away to pursue an acting career.
Career
Finding herself in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
she started out in theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
working for companies such as Man Mela, Rifco and Kali.
She then broke in to TV with minor parts in shows such as 'Doctors', 'Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
' and 'The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
.
In 2003 she was cast as the guest lead in an American adventure series 'Adventures inc' alongside Michael Biehn
Michael Biehn
Michael Connell Biehn is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in James Cameron's science fiction action films The Terminator as Kyle Reese, Aliens as Cpl. Dwayne Hicks, and The Abyss as Lt. Coffey. He has also acted in such films as Tombstone, The Rock, and Planet Terror...
.
Later the same year Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha
Gurinder Chadha , OBE, is a British film director of Indian origin. Most of her films explore the lives of Indians living in the United Kingdom. She is best known for the hit films Bhaji on the Beach , Bend It Like Beckham , Bride and Prejudice and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging...
picked Shivani out at a script reading and cast her as the Bride and best friend of Ashwarya Rai in 'Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice is a 2004 romantic musical film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay by Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges is a Bollywood-style adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue. The film released in...
'.
The next couple of years were spent working, on BBC shows such as 'My Hero' and 'Sinchronicity
Sinchronicity
Sinchronicity is a six-part drama series broadcast on BBC Three in the United Kingdom. The first episode aired on 16 July 2006, and the series concluded on 20 August 2006. Set in Manchester the programme is narrated by Nathan and focuses on the love triangle between him and the two other...
', short films, theatre and commercials. And then in 2006 Shivani was cast as Sarita Dhavi in Rai Uno
Rai Uno
Rai 1 is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. It was born as Rai Tv from 1954 to 1961, called Programma Nazionale from 1961 to 1979, after called Rete 1 from 1979 to 1982, then called Rai Uno from 1982 to...
's 'Medico In Famiglia 5'.
One of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's most popular TV shows was introducing the first Indian family to Italian TV, and they were looking for an Indian actress fluent in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
to play the new lead and love interest. After an unsuccessful search in Italy they decided to look at actresses from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. With no previous knowledge of the language Shivani prepared a couple of scenes in Italian for her audition. She got the job and spent the next seven months filming in Rome.
When the show came out Shivani' s Sarita was hugely popular, and Italian audiences had no idea that Shivani hadn’t been able to speak the language previous to filming.
Filming for Medico ended in March 2007, a few months later Shivani was flying to Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
to work on the HBO/BBC co production House of Saddam
House of Saddam
House of Saddam is a 2008 drama that charts the rise and fall of Saddam Hussein. A co-production between BBC Television and HBO Films, the series was first broadcast on BBC Two in four parts between 30 July and 20 August 2008. The mini-series has been very well received across the Arab...
, where she played Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
's middle daughter Rana
Rana Hussein
Rana Saddam Hussein is the second-eldest daughter of the former President of Iraq,Saddam Hussein and his first wife, Sajida Talfah. Her older sister is Raghad and younger sister is Hala Hussein....
. The miniseries aired September 2008. It was a huge success with the critics, and received BAFTA and EMMY nominations.
In 2009, Shivani filmed a guest lead as Jamilla Sagar, in a soon to be aired new series called Identity, starring Aidan Gillen
Aidan Gillen
Aidan Gillen is an Irish stage and screen actor and television presenter. He is known in Ireland for his role in Love/Hate, in the UK for his role in Queer as Folk and in the US for his role in HBO's television series The Wire in which he plays Tommy Carcetti and for his role in Game of Thrones as...
and Keeley Hawes
Keeley Hawes
Keeley Hawes is an English actress and model, known for many television roles. She is best known for her roles as Zoe Reynolds in Spooks and Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes and Lady Agnes in the remake of Upstairs, Downstairs...
.
She also filmed a five part drama called Five Days II (sequel to Bafta and Golden globe nominated Five days). Shivani played Nusrat Preston, a character described as being at the heart of the serial. She was also singled out in some of the press for managing to stand out amongst an excellent ensemble cast that included Suranne Jones
Suranne Jones
Suranne Jones is an English actress. She first rose to prominence playing the role of Karen McDonald in ITV1's soap opera Coronation Street over a period of four years...
, Anne Reid
Anne Reid
Anne Reid, MBE is a BAFTA Award-nominated English film and television actress from Newcastle upon Tyne, best known for her roles as Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street and Jean in dinnerladies....
, David Morrissey
David Morrissey
David Mark Morrissey is an English actor and director. Morrissey grew up in the Kensington and Knotty Ash areas of Liverpool, and learned to act at the city's Everyman Youth Theatre. At the age of 18, he was cast in the television series One Summer , which won him recognition throughout the country...
, Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill
Bernard Hill is a British actor of film, stage and television. In a career spanning thirty years, he is best known for playing Yosser Hughes, the troubled 'hard man' whose life is falling apart in Alan Bleasdale's groundbreaking 1980s TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff...
, and Steve Evets
Steve Evets
Steve Evets is an English actor and musician, who found fame in the leading role in the 2009 film Looking for Eric.-Personal life:...
.
She has just finished filming the feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
called Cleanskin
Cleanskin (film)
Cleanskin is an upcoming terrorist thriller, written, directed and produced by Hadi Hajaig. It stars Sean Bean, Abhin Galeya, Charlotte Rampling, James Fox, Tuppence Middleton and Michelle Ryan.-Plot:...
, starring Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
and Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling
Charlotte Rampling, OBE is an English actress. Her career spans four decades in English-language as well as French and Italian cinema.- Early life :...
. Due to be released 2011.