'Bodyguard' star Anjli Mohindra says terrorist role was 'own goal for South Asian community'

Anjli Mohindra has branded her role as a terrorist in the hit BBC drama Bodyguard as an “own goal” for the South Asian community.

The actress played Nadia in the series, a Muslim terrorist who was involved in an attempted bombing.

As the programme aired earlier this year, it was criticised for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Muslims, sentiments which Mohindra has now implied she agrees with.

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Mohindra told Digital Spy: "Bodyguard will always be an incredible experience. Working with one of the best writers in this country, and playing the character was such a great and unexpected twist.

"I do think I've learnt a lot about how to... I'm trying to think about the best way to put this... I feel in some ways, even though that job holds a very special place in my heart, I kind of scored an own goal for the South Asian community in playing a character that perpetuates a stereotype."

Mohindra previously revealed to Stylist that she didn't initially want to take the role over concerns that it would be pushing Islamophobic ideas.

However, she explained her mind was changed after coming to the conclusion that the character wasn't a "plot device" and that Nadia "felt real".

Meanwhile, writer Jed Mercurio has confirmed talks are currently in progress surrounding a second series for the BBC drama.

“We're in talks. We're going through the logistics of it. There's no real update now,” he shared at a media conference in Canada.