Jamila Massey

Jamila Massey (born 7 January 1934) is an Indian actress and writer. Massey has had a long career on UK television and radio. She is known for playing Auntie Satya in the long-running radio soap The Archers, Jamila Ranjha in Mind Your Language, and Sanjay Kapoor's mother Neelam in EastEnders.

Early life Massey came to Britain with her parents in 1946 at the age of 12. Her father fought in the Second World War but remained in the UK and became a producer for the BBC.

As a child, Massey acted for the BBC in radio children's programmes. She attended King's College London and graduated in Latin, Urdu and English. She had aspirations to train as an actress; however, her mother frowned upon such a career. Massey's mother refused to allow her to attend drama school after the death of her father, so she was forced to use subterfuge to fulfil her acting ambitions.

As well as acting, Massey has also co-authored several books with her husband, writer Reginald Massey. One was a novel, The Immigrants, based on field research among first-generation Asians in Britain. The other books were The Music of India, for which Ravi Shankar provided a foreword, and The Dances of India. Massey is deeply interested and involved in music; she has introduced several Indian musicians and dancers to audiences in the West.

Massey appeared in Coronation Street in February 2010 as one of Sunita's aunts.

Personal life Massey and her husband, the author and poet Reginald Massey, live in Llanidloes, Wales.

Writings