Ambika Mod says glass ceiling keeps rising for South Asian actors

Ambika Mod says South Asian actors face a “glass ceiling” that keeps rising, as she argues that systemic racism makes it difficult for them to break through in the industry.

The actor, whose screen roles include the BBC drama *This Is Going to Hurt* and Netflix’s *One Day*, told BBC Newsbeat she wants to change how South Asian women are represented. She said she would not take a role she considered tokenistic or stereotypical.

Mod, 31, is joining the second season of Netflix spy thriller *Black Doves* as Laila, an agent who works with Keira Knightley’s character. She said the role appealed to her partly because of its stunts and because it challenged espionage conventions.

Her comments come amid wider concerns about representation in UK broadcasting. The Creative Diversity Network’s latest report found that representation of minority ethnic groups on and off screen fell slightly in the previous year after several years of improvement. Ofcom has also reported under-representation across the industry, including in senior management: people from minority ethnic groups accounted for 11% of those roles, according to its research.

Mod said she had been fortunate to play complex roles early in her career and was not looking to go backwards. She said she tries to choose work that offers a new challenge and is enjoyable.