Aysha Kala

Aysha Kala is an English actress and theatre maker. On television, she is known for her roles in the Channel 4 series Shameless and Indian Summers (2015–2016), and the BBC One crime drama Virdee (2025). She was named a 2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.

Early life and education Aysha Kala grew up in Snaresbrook in east London, England. Her father is a Gujarati Muslim from Gujarat, India.

Kala attended Chigwell School. She graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2013.

Career Kala made her television debut in 2011 when she joined the cast of Shameless on Channel 4 for its eighth series as Sita Desai. Her professional stage debut came in 2012 with roles in the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Much Ado About Nothing in Stratford-upon-Avon, that she was nominated for an Ian Charleson Award, and Khadija is 18 at the Finborough Theatre, nominated for the 2012 Offie for Female Performance.

Upon graduating from drama school in 2013, Kala made her feature film debut in the comedy Jadoo. She also appeared in Farragut North at Southwark Playhouse and Djinns Of Eidgah at the Royal Court Theatre.

She was named a 2015 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit.

In 2015 and 2016, Kala had a main role as Sooni Dalal in the Channel 4 drama Indian Summers.

In the years following, Kala did more theatre, including PunkPlay at Southwark Playhouse in 2016, Obsession at the Barbican Theatre in 2017, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Theatre Royal, Bath in 2019, and The Welkin at the National Theatre in 2020.

Kala returned to television in 2021 with guest appearances in the BBC series Call the Midwife and the Netflix series Master of None. This was followed in 2022 by recurring roles in Man vs. Bee, also on Netflix, and the Channel 4 thriller The Undeclared War.

Kala returned to the National Theatre in 2023 when she originated the role of Jessica Levy in The Motive and the Cue, directed by Sam Mendes, and took over the role of Vimala in The Father and the Assassin.

She had roles in the Paramount+ series The Doll Factory (2023) and the Apple TV+ series Criminal Record(2024).

She plays Saima, the wife of detective Virdee, in the BBC One crime drama Virdee, which premiered in February 2025. At time of the series release, she was filming season 2 of Criminal Record.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2013 Jadoo Seema Chandana 8 episodes (series 8) 2014 Second Coming Waitress 2015 Exmas Ice Queen Short film 2019 Osama Bin Hiding Myra Short film Home Girl Roya Short film The Deranged Marriage Sona Short film

Television Year Title Role Notes 2011 Shameless Sita Desai 8 episodes (series 8) 2013 Vicious Emma Episode: "Clubbing" 2015–2016 Indian Summers Sooni Dalal Main role 2021 Call the Midwife Sarita Gupta 1 episode Master of None Reshmi Episode: "Moments in Love, Chapter 1" 2022 Man vs. Bee Detective 2 episodes The Undeclared War Amina 3 episodes 2023 The Doll Factory Ananya 3 episodes 2024 Criminal Record Sonya Singh 8 episodes 2025 Virdee Saima Virdee 6 episodes

Stage Year Title Role Notes 2012 Much Ado About Nothing Maid Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon Khadija is 18 Khadija Finborough Theatre, London 2013 Farragut North Molly Southwark Playhouse, London Djinns Of Eidgah Ashrafi Royal Court Theatre, London 2016 PunkPlay Various Southwark Playhouse, London 2017 Obsession Anita Barbican Theatre, London 2018 Frogman Fiona Shoreditch Town Hall, London An Adventure Sonal / Joy Bush Theatre, London 2019 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Nina Theatre Royal, Bath 2020 The Welkin Peg Carter National Theatre, London 2021 Under the Mask Rose Theatre, Kingston 2022 Scandaltown Hannah Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith 2023 The Motive and the Cue Jessica Levy National Theatre, London The Father and the Assassin Vimala 2026 Teeth 'n' Smiles Laura Duke of York's Theatre, London

Audio Year Title Role Notes 2015 Earthsea Tenar BBC Radio 4 2015 The City of Woven Streets Narrator Novel by Emmi Itäranta2016 Radio Silence Narrator Novel by Alice Oseman 2018 I Was Born for This Narrator Novel by Alice Oseman

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Work Result 2012 Offies Plays: Female Performance Khadija is 18 2013 Ian Charleson Awards Much Ado About Nothing