Bridgerton star Charithra Chandran says she is ‘so proud’ to represent South Asians in 1800s London

Bridgerton actor Charithra Chandran has shared that she’s “so proud” to represent the South Asian people who lived in the UK in the period the show is set.

Chandran plays Edwina Sharma in the second season of the romantic drama, set in London in the early 1800s.

Her character, along with elder sister Kate (Simone Ashley) and mother Mary (Shelley Conn) are recent arrivals in town from India.

Speaking to PA about portraying an Indian woman in London at that time, Chandran said that her role is an important example of people who were around at the time.

“We have to remember that actually, in 1814, which is when the second season is set, there were 50,000 South Asians in the country, so we were here and of course, we weren’t members of the ton, but we were in the country,” she explained.

“Obviously Bridgerton is in a fantasy world, and it’s just a carnival of joy and we don’t address England’s difficult past with India, but we are so intrinsically linked, the two countries.”

Since the show first launched on Netflix in 2020, it has received praise for involving a diverse cast.

For Chandran, seeing South Asian characters on screen in a period piece creates a positive link to current day life in the UK.

She told reporters: “I think it’s really wonderful that you’re not only representing those 50,000 South Asians that were there in 1814, but you’re representing that link that these two countries have and you’re representing all the South Asians in the UK right now, making sure that they can feel seen, that they’re important in this country and Simone [Ashley] and I are so proud to do that.”

Season two of Bridgerton launches on Netflix on Friday 25 March. You can read The Independent’s review here.