Biography
Shobna Gulati is an English actor, presenter, writer and dancer. Born on 7 August 1966 in Oldham, she holds a degree in Arabic and Middle Eastern politics from the University of Manchester.
She is known for playing Anita in the BBC sitcom dinnerladies and Sunita Alahan in the ITV soap Coronation Street from 2001 to 2013. Gulati has also appeared in EastEnders (2000), Doctor Who, Midsomer Murders, Inside No. 9, Brassic, Vera and Casualty. She took over the role of Ray in the West End production of Everybody's Talking About Jamie and reprised it in the 2021 film adaptation.
Gulati was appointed MBE in the 2024 Birthday Honours for services to the cultural industries. Her other stage work includes productions of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Richard II.
