Stardom must wait for Syal daughter

7:01pm Tuesday 13th January 2009

Actress and comedian Meera Syal has put her daughter's plans to follow her on to the stage on hold until after her exams.

The star of Goodness Gracious Me and The Kumars At Number 42 told the Evening Standard that her teenage daughter Chameli, who has already appeared in a Bollywood film, must put her education ahead of stardom.

Chameli, known as Milli, has already appeared in a Bollywood film, but Syal told the Standard: "She is showing some nice potential, but right now her school work has to take precedence as she has her mock GCSEs soon and then the real stuff next summer. That will have to be her main focus and she is happy accepting that."

The mother and daughter appear in this month's edition of Asian Woman magazine.

Milli, who goes to drama school, said she would not want to forge a career off the back of her mother's fame.

"I'd like to be my own person, be able to achieve things myself rather than just for being someone's daughter," she said.

"I'm certainly very proud of my mum but I'd rather be recognised on my own."

Syal is married to long-term collaborator Sanjeev Bhaskar, and Milli is her daughter from her first marriage.