SHAHEEN KHAN
Shaheen Khan, actress and writer, Wimbledon

Shaheen Khan's career spans an impressive 30 years and she has acted and written for film, television, theatre and radio. Shaheen, born in Tanzania, came to the UK aged 11, and her first break in TV came with the Asian drama, Paosi. Shaheen is best known as the mother from the award winning film Bend it Like Beckham, and she also stared in the groundbreaking Bhaji Beach.

Shaheen was a founding member of Tara Arts - Britain's first Asian theatre, and in 1984 after graduating from Kingston University, gaining a degree in Sociology, handed it to her mother and said; 'here is what you wanted now I'm off to do what I want to do.' Coming from a Muslim family, albeit liberal, it was tough work for Shaheen to convince her family that she was doing the right thing, but Shaheen took the risk and toured with Tara with great success. Shaheen went on to star in BBC's Lovematch with Madhur Jeffery, and she has worked with Stephen Fry and Meera Syal and also appeared in James Bond Tomorrow Never Dies. Due out this month is the film Provoked, in which she plays a central character, the film is based on the life of Kiranjit Ahuwalia.

As well as her extensive acting career Shaheen has written with Sudha Bhuchar and enjoyed great success with their sell-out play, Balti Kings. Shaheen has also written for BBC Doctors, BBC4 screenplay The House Across the Street and a number of radio shows.

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