Shobna Gulati

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Shobna Gulati
Born	August 7, 1966 Oldham, Lancashire, England

Shobna Gulati (born 1966 in Oldham, Lancashire) is a popular English actress, writer and dancer of Indian origin best known for playing the role of Sunita Alahan in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006. She is also known for being one of very few actors to have appeared in both Coronation Street and its rival series Eastenders for the BBC (in 2000).

In the late 1990s, Gulati received rave reviews for her work in Victoria Wood's BBC Sitcom dinnerladies; in 2001, she appeared in the short film Shadowscan, directed by Tinge Krishnan, which won a BAFTA Award; and in 2004 Gulati was nominated for a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for her work in the play Dancing within walls, which was staged at the Contact Theatre in Manchester.

Gulati has also appeared on the TV quiz shows Call My Bluff, Have I Got News for You, The Weakest Link and as Diana Ross in Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes. In early 2006, Gulati took part in the Reality TV series Soapstar Superstar.

Since leaving Coronation Street in 2006, Gulati has played a recurring role in the final series of Where the Heart Is and made appearances in New Street Law and the one-off comedy drama Magnolia which was written by Dave Spikey for the BBC's Comedy playhouse series.

In October 2006, Gulati appeared at the Royal Albert Hall as part of a short comedy sketch featured in The Secret Policeman's Ball. In the sketch, Shobna and co-star Nitin Ganatra play a holidaying couple who are under the mistaken belief Guantanamo Bay is a holiday resort. The sketch also starred american actors Chevy Chase and Seth Green.

Gulati has recently been seen as one of many storytellers in the CBBC revival of Jackanory and in the UK tour of the hit play Girls night by Louise Roche.

Gulati will shortly been seen in a new series by Red productions, the production company behind Queer as folk and Linda Green, in a new wildlife and Conservation series Saving Planet Earth presented by Sir David Frost for BBC1 and in a documentary series Empire's children for Channel 4 which will also feature Dame Diana Rigg.

Gulati is a single mother to a son Ashkay, 12, has a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern Politics, speaks six languages and is a vocal supporter of Asian women's rights and various anti Racism campaigns.