Ajay Chabra
| Ajay Chabra | |
|---|---|
| Born |
28 November 1970 Greenwich, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | actor, producer |
Ajay Chabra (born Greenwich, London, 1970) is a British television and theatre actor, director and producer of Indo-Fijian heritage, who is best known for playing Anil in The Basil Brush Show, The Vicar, Suresh Mattai in the BBC Radio series The Archers and the Defense Barrister George Karnad in Holby City. Ajay is Artistic Director of Nutkhut and founder of the London Mela, Europe's largest South Asian festival.
Before turning professional he worked in the Hotel and Events sector. He studied Anthropology at Goldsmiths College, University of London and Hospitality Management at Westminster Hotel School and the University of North London. He trained at Grosvenor House Hotel and Beck Hotels in Austria, completing his training at the University of Innsbruck.
He created and played Stanley in Kafka's Dick by Alan Bennett and developed his own series Planet Ajay for the BBC, creating and playing four characters - himself, his evil twin brother, Badjay, a space serpent: Jaleel the Eel and his maternal grandmother, Naniji, using green screen technology.
In 1995 he made his West End debut in Indian Ink by Tom Stoppard alongside Felicity Kendal, Art Malik and the late Margaret Tyzack. He has worked for BBC Radio Drama reading works exclusively for V S Naipaul and Salman Rushdie.
Come to Kochi, an 8 part series which Chabra presented from the Southern Indian state of Kerala, is now taught as part of the National Curriculum.
He has directed and performed for Diesel Clothing Company in Italy, Greece, Holland, Germany and Denmark, bringing together fashion and theatre in creating a theatrical presentation of Spring/Summer collections with catwalk models, classical dancers and actors.
In 2011 he created and performed a virtual customer of the future for the Senior Executive board of HSBC bank in Canary Wharf, London and at its headquarters in Hong Kong, enabling senior directors to execute future customer account profiles.
Filmography
- Planet Ajay (2009/10)
- Project Huxley (2005)
- The Basil Brush Show (2002-2007)
- The Audition (2003)
- Holby City (2003)
- Anita and Me (2002)
- Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
- Second Generation (2000)
- The Bill (1998)
- Casualty (1998)