A Mighty Star

Twinkle, twinkle, little desi star, how I wonder what you are?

Well, you might just be Archie Panjabi. Starring with some of the biggest names in the biz, Russell Crowe, Keira Knightley, and Tim Robbins, hobnobbing in Cannes, and receiving prestigious awards is all in a day’s work for the rising star.

In her biggest role yet, the British born actress stars alongside Angelina Jolie in the hugely anticipated film, A Mighty Heart. In the film, Archie plays journalist Asra Nomani, the Indian-American colleague and friend of Daniel Pearl, the journalist savagely beheaded by Islamic extremists.

Like many a desi mom, Archie’s mum instructed her to (what else?) finish university before pursuing acting. After graduating with a Management Studies degree from Brunel University, she soon landed the part of Meenah Khan in East is East and more famously as Parminder Nagra’s nutty older sister Pinky in Bend It Like Beckham for which she won a BBC Mega Mela Award.

The movie also showcases a gaggle of other desis actors, including Irfan Khan, Adnan Siddiqui, and Mushtaq Khan.

A starry night indeed.

A Mighty Heart opens June 22. www.amightyheartmovie.com