Charithra Chandran, a star from the hit show "Bridgerton," is lending her captivating voice to the upcoming BBC animated sitcom, "Nikhil & Jay." This heartwarming series, inspired by the books of Chitra Soundar, follows the hilarious and charming adventures of two young brothers of Indian-British dual heritage and their endearing family.
As the logline aptly describes, "With both Indian and English grandparents, their life is a vibrant tapestry of customs, traditions, festivals, flavors, and melodies." "Nikhil & Jay" beautifully showcases the similarities and differences in a heartfelt and humorous manner, authentically portraying the experiences of British Asian children with dual heritage. The show promises to be filled with warmth, depth, and plenty of laughs.
Scheduled to premiere later this year on BBC's kids service, CBeebies, Chandran, of British Tamil descent, will lend her voice to Amma, the boys' loving mother. Beyond her memorable role as Edwina Sharma in "Bridgerton," Chandran has also starred in "Alex Rider" and "How to Date Billy Walsh," and is set to appear in the upcoming series "Dune Prophecy."
Expressing her enthusiasm, Chandran said, "It's truly incredible to see a show like this on the BBC, especially one that so beautifully represents my culture. Growing up, I never had anything like this to watch, so it's a dream come true."
The talented cast includes Shiv Senthilkumar and Sai Ganesh Nadesan, both seven-year-olds, portraying the dynamic brothers Nikhil and Jay. Ben Harris takes on the role of Appa, their father. The ensemble is rounded out by Janine Duvitski as Nana, Mark Benton as Grandpa Jim, Janaki Sabesh as Granny Ammamma, Ravi Swami as Grandpa Thatha, Tez Ilyas as neighbor Mr. Awan, and Harriet Carmichael voicing the family's feline companion, Max. Michelle Jones of Brilliant Casting handpicked the stellar cast.
Produced by King Banana TV (known for "Yakka Dee!") and Paper Owl Films ("Pablo"), the series is executive produced and distributed by CAKE, the studio behind "Angry Birds Summer Madness." Northern Ireland Screen also contributed funding to this charming and culturally enriching project.
