With previous roles in the likes of Hullraisers, Line of Duty and The Control Room, Taj Atwal isn't a stranger to appearing in a talked-about TV show. But now starring in the critically lauded Riot Women as police officer Nisha Lal, Atwal describes the experience of working on a series helmed by Sally Wainwright as a "beautiful moment" that she'd been waiting for.
"I couldn't cry because I was actually unwell," Atwal laughs. "I just felt so emotional and it felt so right, the right story to be a part of. I'm so honoured that she's given it to me to bring it alive."
Having been Holly's (Tamsin Greig) police partner whilst she worked on the force, their bond is a strong one even after Holly retires. But as an officer still finding her feet by herself, Nisha is the victim of unwanted attention from fellow officer Rudy (Ben Batt). It's in the second episode that we see things notch up to a whole new uncomfortable level for Nisha, who is working at her desk when Rudy approaches her and gropes her from behind.
By the fourth episode, Nisha's life is not only endangered by those she was trying to arrest but she is also completely demeaned when Rudy is the one who finds her hanging by the rails of a building, handcuffed.
Group chat conversations and instances of photographing victims are unfortunately cases that have unfolded in the real world, but are captured with emotional nuance within Nisha's Riot Women story. The series especially feels like a whirlwind for Atwal who was filming for it last year when the UK anti-immigration riots were unfolding, she tells me.
"You're living it outside in daily life and then you're portraying it on screen. Actually, I thought, 'Gosh, now is so the right time to tell this.' It made me dig deep even more and want to tell it even more authentically and truthfully because people are suffering it, suffering the stuff that Nisha is. It also reinforced to me what a genius Sally is, really reflecting life so truthfully."
"I was like, 'Right, OK, this is really important now to tell this story.' Then we had another calm moment and it's come back again. I was just worried at the start that people would think, 'But that doesn't really happen in real life, that doesn't happen anymore.'
"It goes to show that it is happening and it's continuously happening. You kind of feel some responsibility but really more than anything, just to tell it as truthfully as possible."
"She has this wealth of information from somebody who was actually in the police force for many, many years up north. When I spoke to her, obviously you want to say, 'Yeah but to this extreme?' But then you look at someone like Sarah and what happened with that male police officer. Obviously, [Sarah] didn't work in the police force but [Lisa] said there is misogyny in the police force, there is racism in the police force all the time.
Nisha doesn't agree with the way that her former partner Holly handles the information she tells her in confidence, with the consequences only creating a rift between the once close pair of friends. Atwal herself agrees with how Holly called out people in the situation but Wainwright's writing paves the way for more realistic storytelling.
Whilst the final episode does see Nisha join the band on stage in a powerful moment of empowerment, we're left on a bit of an open-ended note regarding Rudy and Nisha's place within the force post-attack.
"He's obviously seething. It's totally obviously Sally's show and I think she would continue to tell that in the most truthful way. We would all like it tied in a nice, neat bow. Like, Nisha goes in and says, 'Yes, this is what's happened', everything's going to be fine and Rudy's going to be sacked. But is that the reality of life? I'm not sure."
Wainwright was "open and accommodating" to changing Nisha's initial character name to "a more Punjabi" one, Atwal tells me, which made the character that bit more personal to her.
"I haven't had an experience like it," the actress tells me, gushing over the leading stars of the show. "They're all such brilliant actresses who have such a wealth of life experience and being able to soak that up every day, you feel like you're just enveloped."
"I think it was Alan Ayckbourn – and I might be completely misquoting this – but he said something like, 'Life is one big comedy punctuated by moments of sadness.' I just love that quote and it kind of feels right for that world.
In terms of the stories she hopes to tell in the future, Atwal admits that she's "really been digging deep" for inspiration and new narratives. One of those sources has come by way of the book Asians in Britain: 400 Years of History by Rozina Visram, which includes "so many real stories of Asians who made an impact, who did notable things", Atwal says.
"So I'm really kind of putting pen to paper at the moment and I would love actual great writers to bring those stories to life, it would be amazing."
Those may be exciting additional notches to add to her belt in the future but for now, Atwal thinks there has been a shift in the right direction for Asian representation behind the scenes. However, just the notion of having to speak about it also means that there's a long way to go, she admits.
"We're never going to stop existing so why wouldn't you want us on screen as well? We're not hidden in the world, we're alongside you. And also – isn't it boring just seeing the same thing when you want to see a bit of everything?"
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