Bindya Solanki
Encyclopedia
Bindya Solanki is a British Asian
actress. Solanki comes from Southend on Sea, the seaside town in Essex
. Her parents are of Gujarati descent and emigrated to England
in the 60s. She attended Brunel University
and graduated in 1995 with a BA
(hons) degree in drama.
She made her television debut in the ITV
children's programme My Parents Are Aliens
in 1999, playing a teacher. She went on to have roles in the BBC
drama Sweet Revenge
and she also played Nima Shah in Sky One
's Dream Team
in 2001. She is best known for playing the role of Nita Mistry in the popular BBC soap opera
EastEnders
(2001–2003). Solanki's character was introduced as a love interest to Dean Gaffney
's character, Robbie Jackson
. She remained in the role for two years, but was axed along with Gaffney in 2003. In a press report executive-producer Louise Berridge
commented "Dean and Bindya have contributed an enormous amount to the programme..However, we feel that the characters have reached the end of their natural course in the show, and they will both be leaving in Spring 2003...It is always sad to be saying goodbye to a good double act, so we will be leaving the door open for both characters". Despite the character of Robbie returning twice since 2003, Nita has not appeared.
Solanki has also appeared in many stage productions including playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
at the English Shakespeare Company. In 2004 she played Pramila in The Deranged Marriage and in 2006 she played Frehia in Mercy Fine.
In 2005, she guest starred in the Doctor Who
Sixth Doctor
audio drama The Juggernauts
, returning to Doctor Who audios again in 2009 in the Seventh Doctor
audio drama Enemy of the Daleks
.
Bindya is now in BBC Asian Networks's Silver Street, playing Mindy; a sassy events manager.
British Asian
British Asian is a term used to describe British citizens who descended from mainly South Asia, also known as South Asians in the United Kingdom...
actress. Solanki comes from Southend on Sea, the seaside town in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. Her parents are of Gujarati descent and emigrated to 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...
in the 60s. She attended Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
and graduated in 1995 with a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
(hons) degree in drama.
She made her television debut in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
children's programme My Parents Are Aliens
My Parents are Aliens
My Parents are Aliens is a British sitcom produced by Yorkshire Television and later Granada Productions for CITV about an eccentric family, which was produced as seven annual series, first broadcast in 1999 and ending in 2006...
in 1999, playing a teacher. She went on to have roles in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama Sweet Revenge
Sweet Revenge (2001 TV film)
Sweet Revenge is a 2001 British television film that aired in two parts on BBC One on 15 and 16 October 2001. It stars Sophie Okonedo, Paul McGann and Pam Ferris....
and she also played Nima Shah in Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
's Dream Team
Dream Team (TV series)
Dream Team is a British television series produced by Hewland International which aired on Sky1 and Sky3 from 1997 to 2007; it chronicled the on-field and off-field affairs of the fictional Harchester United Football Club....
in 2001. She is best known for playing the role of Nita Mistry in the popular BBC soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
(2001–2003). Solanki's character was introduced as a love interest to Dean Gaffney
Dean Gaffney
Dean Martin Gaffney is an English actor most notable for his role as Robbie Jackson on the BBC1 soap opera Eastenders from 1993 to 2003, when his character was axed. He has since made guest appearances in the soap in 2004 and 2010. Gaffney went on to appear in various reality television shows,...
's character, Robbie Jackson
Robbie Jackson
Robert "Robbie" Jackson is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Dean Gaffney from 1993 to 2003. The character was axed in 2003 by executive producer Louise Berridge. He made brief returns in 2004 and 2010 for two family weddings.-Backstory:Robbie was the product of a...
. She remained in the role for two years, but was axed along with Gaffney in 2003. In a press report executive-producer Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge
Louise Berridge is a British writer of historical fiction. Before she became a novelist, she was best known as a television producer and script editor. The most famous post being the executive producer of BBC's EastEnders between 2002 and 2004...
commented "Dean and Bindya have contributed an enormous amount to the programme..However, we feel that the characters have reached the end of their natural course in the show, and they will both be leaving in Spring 2003...It is always sad to be saying goodbye to a good double act, so we will be leaving the door open for both characters". Despite the character of Robbie returning twice since 2003, Nita has not appeared.
Solanki has also appeared in many stage productions including playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
at the English Shakespeare Company. In 2004 she played Pramila in The Deranged Marriage and in 2006 she played Frehia in Mercy Fine.
In 2005, she guest starred in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
Sixth Doctor
Sixth Doctor
The Sixth Doctor is the sixth incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by Colin Baker...
audio drama The Juggernauts
The Juggernauts
The Juggernauts is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who.-Plot:...
, returning to Doctor Who audios again in 2009 in the Seventh Doctor
Seventh Doctor
The Seventh Doctor is the seventh incarnation of the protagonist of the long-running BBC television science-fiction series Doctor Who. He was portrayed by the actor Sylvester McCoy....
audio drama Enemy of the Daleks
Enemy of the Daleks
Enemy of the Daleks is a Big Finish Productions audio drama based on the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who...
.
Bindya is now in BBC Asian Networks's Silver Street, playing Mindy; a sassy events manager.