| Intro | British actress |
| Is | Actor |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Type | Film, TV, Stage & Radio |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 1 January 1984, Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, Greater London, England |
| Age: | 36 years |
Amara Karan (born 1984) is a Sri Lankan-English actress who made her film début as the love interest in Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited. The film premièred at the 2007 Venice Film Festival. Karan’s second film role was as schoolgirl Peaches in the 2007 film St Trinian’s.
She made her stage début in 2008 as Jessica in an RSC production of The Merchant of Venice and as Bianca in an RSC production of The Taming of the Shrew. With the latter, she made her West End debut at the Novello Theatre.
Background
Karan was born in Wimbledon, London in 1984 to Sri Lankan Tamil parents who had emigrated to Britain from Zambia two years before she was born. She was brought up in Wimbledon and attended Wimbledon High School.
Karan went on to study at St Catherine’s College, Oxford University and while there began acting in amateur plays including Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World at the Burton Taylor Theatre for which she received rave reviews and was also singled out for her performance in When We Are Married at the Old Fire Station theatre. During her time at Oxford, Karan wrote, directed, produced, and acted in a short film, By Myself, which came in second place in the 2002 Shoestring Shorts Competition.
She began her career as an investment banker (at Hawkpoint and CIBC World Markets) specialising in mergers and acquisitions, before studying for an MA degree in acting at The Arts Educational Schools London.
She carried the 2008 Olympic Torch during its time in London.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Darjeeling Limited | Rita | |
| 2007 | St Trinian’s | Peaches | |
| 2011 | The Task | Toni | |
| 2012 | All in Good Time | Vina | |
| 2012 | A Fantastic Fear of Everything | Sangeet | |
| 2013 | Jadoo | Shalini | |
| 2018 | Untouchable | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Bill | Abha Chaudhari | Season 23, Episode 46 “Match Day Violence” |
| 2008 | Agatha Christie’s Poirot | Princess Shaista | Season 11, Episode 2 “Cat Among the Pigeons” |
| 2011 | Doctor Who | Rita | Season 6, Episode 11 “The God Complex” |
| 2011-2012 | Kidnap and Ransom | Carrie Heath, Dominic’s assistant | 5 of 6 episodes |
| 2013 | Ambassadors | Isabel | 3 of 3 episodes, mini-series |
| 2014 | Goodness Gracious Me | various roles | Reunion Special |
| 2016 | Stan Lee’s Lucky Man | DS Suri Chohan | 10 episodes |
| 2016 | The Night Of | Chandra Kapoor | 6 episodes |
Radio
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Making of a Marchioness | Lady Agatha | Frances Hodgson Burnett for BBC Radio 4 |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | The Taming of the Shrew | Bianca | Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon and on tour |
| 2008 | The Merchant of Venice | Jessica | Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon and on tour |
| 2009 | The Taming of the Shrew | Bianca | Royal Shakespeare Company, West End, The Novello Theatre |
| 2012 | Much Ado About Nothing | Hero |