‘Black Mirror’ Star and ‘Juice’ Creator Discuss the Future of Asian Representation at BAFTA

British-based actress Anjana Vasan, best known for her stellar turn in Black Mirror’s “Demon 79,” and Mawaan Rizwan, writer‑creator of the BBC Three comedy Juice, took the stage at BAFTA’s One to One × UKTV Asian Inclusion event in July 2025, to explore South Asian representation in television and film, as reported by Variety.

In a candid dialogue, Vasan, who earned considerable notice (and a BAFTA Television Award nomination) for her role in Demon 79, argued that representation begins with material. “It starts with the material. You know people can think you’re an amazing actor but if you don’t have the opportunity then you can’t play the role,” she said. As an Indian-born Singaporean actress whose career spans stage and screen—including a Laurence Olivier Award—Vasan emphasized how narrative authorship creates space for performers like herself to be seen as full, complex humans rather than stereotypes.

Rizwan, whose sitcom Juice won him an actor BAFTA and brought him acclaim as screenwriter, spoke how for him writing was an act of liberation. He described having often been fed reductive roles early in his career: “the writing gives you an autonomy.” He also noted that South Asian British people are frequently boxed in by external expectations: “Sometimes I question how we … perceive ourselves because we are put in so many situations where you see the outsides perception of us which is so disorientating”. Vasan added that immigrant experience often engenders imagination: “It’s about world‑building … observing cultures… you’re on the side‑lines observing a lot and absorbing a lot,” which she sees as intrinsic to acting itself.

Both spoke of representation not merely as simply visibility but as humanity. Vasan advocated for specificity in storytelling: “The more specific it is sometimes the more universal it is … we’re also not trying to make stories just for ourselves … we are the global majority”. Rizwan envisioned a future where casting simply allows whichever character is interesting to be played by a brown actor, rather than stories always being defined by “brown experience”.

By spotlighting the power of writing and embracing multidimensional, inclusive stories, Vasan and Rizwan are helping to reshape how South Asian identities are portrayed, transforming representation from a checkbox into an authentic reflection of humanity.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia.