Milli Bhatia

Last updated
Milli Bhatia
Born
Chameli Sushila Bhatia

1992/1993
Alma mater
Years active2015–present
Mother Meera Syal
Family Sanjeev Bhaskar (step-father)
Website www.millibhatia.com

Chameli Sushila Bhatia (born 1992/1993) is an English theatre director and dramaturg. Her work at the Royal Court Theatre was twice nominated for an affiliate Laurence Olivier Award. She was also nominated for an Off West End Award.

Contents

Early life

Bhatia is the daughter of Meera Syal and Shekhar Bhatia. [1] She is of Punjabi descent. [2] Her parents divorced in 2002, and she was subsequently brought up in Broadwalk, South Woodford [3] by her mother and stepfather Sanjeev Bhaskar alongside her brother (born 2005). [4]

Bhatia attended Forest School, Walthamstow, completing her A Levels in 2010. [5] She also joined the National Youth Theatre (NYT). She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Drama and Theatre Arts from the University of East Anglia (UEA) in 2014 and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Theatre Directing from Birkbeck, University of London in 2016. [6] [7]

Career

In 2015, Bhatia joined the Birmingham Repertory Theatre as a Resident Assistant Director. After completing her MFA, she moved to the Bush Theatre, [8] [9] directing Hijabi Monologues (2017). [10] She also curated the monologue anthology My White Best Friend (And Other Letters Left Unsaid) at The Bunker with Rachel De-Lahay. [11]

After a stint as a trainee director in 2018, Bhatia worked at the Royal Court Theatre from 2019 to 2023 as a Literary Associate. For the Royal Court, she directed Jasmine Lee-Jones' seven methods of killing kylie jenner (2019), [12] [13] Jasmine Naziha Jones' Baghdaddy (2022), [14] and Mohamed Zain Dada's Blue Mist (2023). [15] [16] seven methods of killing kylie Jenner and Blue Mist were both nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre in 2020 and 2024 respectively. [17] [18] [19] Blue Mist also won Best Stage Production at the Asian Media Awards. [20] In addition, Bhatia co-created the immersive Dismantle This Room (2019) with Nina Segal, [21] co-directed Lucy Kirkwood's Maryland (2021) [22] with Lucy Morrison and Vicky Featherstone and contributed to Edition 1 of the collection Living Newspaper (2021) with Temi Wilkey among others. [23]

At the Theatre Royal Stratford East, Bhatia collaborated with Travis Alabanza on I'm tired of waiting, someone pass me the duct tape (2022), an installment of Burn It Down. [24] Bhatia started collaborating with Sonali Bhattacharyya, directing Chasing Hares (2022) at the Young Vic, [25] [26] Liberation Squares (2024) for Brixton House and Nottingham Playhouse [27] and King Troll (The Fawn) (2024) at the New Diorama Theatre. [28] For her work on Liberation Squares, Bhatia was nominated for a Off West End Award in the Director/Plays category. [29] She also returned to the Bush Theatre and reunited with Mohamed Zain Dada, directing for his play Speed (2025). [30]

Personal life

In 2011, Bhatia was taken to court by for shattering a glass in a classmate's face at a party by his father who insisted on pressing charges. Bhatia maintained it was an accident; she did not expect the glass to shatter when she flicked it and meant no harm. She was found not guilty. [5] [3]

References

  1. "Meera Syal & Sanjeev Bhaskar and Milli Bhatia". Eastern Eye. 11 March 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  2. "Milli Bhatia on the Seven Methods Of Killing Kylie Jenner". Burnt Roti. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 Curtis, Joe (7 November 2011). "SOUTH WOODFORD: TV star's "massive relief" at stepdaughter being cleared of glass attack". Guardian Series. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  4. "Meera Syal exclusive: I'm sooo knackered!". Daily Mirror. 13 July 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Kumars star's daughter cleared of glass attack on boy at party". Evening Standard. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  6. "Milli Bhatia, Literary Associate at the Royal Court Theatre". The Org. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  7. Morgan, Fergus (11 April 2025). ""Nikesh Patel described it as the result of putting Severance and PhoneShop in a blender."". The Crush Bar. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  8. Fearon-Melville, Sabrina (2021). "The show must go on for Milli Bhatia". TMRW Magazine. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  9. Rabinowitz, Chloe (2 February 2024). "Five New Artistic Associates to Join Synergy Theatre Project". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. "'Speed' – director Milli Bhatia on a new play that is probing and funny…". Asian Culture Vulture. 12 April 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
  11. Ava Wong Davies (21 March 2019). "Review: My White Best Friend at the Bunker". Exeunt. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  12. Ava Wong Davies (3 July 2019). "Jasmine Lee-Jones and Milli Bhatia: "Why do we have to inherit structures in order to make stuff?"". Exeunt. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  13. "Milli Bhatia discusses bringing seven methods of killing kylie jenner back to the Royal Court". WhatsOnStage. 15 June 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  14. "Royal Court Theatre Announces Cast for Baghdaddy by Jasmine Naziha Jones directed by Milli Bhatia". Theatre Weekly. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  15. Singh, Mohnish (4 September 2023). "The Royal Court Theatre announces cast for Milli Bhatia's 'Blue Mist'". Eastern Eye. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  16. Akbar, Arifa (12 October 2023). "Blue Mist review – dreamlike dive into Muslim demonisation". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  17. Obeng, Naomi (14 July 2021). "Skin Deep Meets 'seven methods of killing kylie jenner' director Milli Bhatia". Skin Deep. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  18. "Laurence Olivier Awards: Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre". About the Artists. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  19. "Olivier Awards 2024: who should and who will win this year?". The Stage. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  20. "Asian Media Awards 2024 Winners". Asian Media Awards. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  21. Bradley, Ka (26 April 2019). "The 'escape room' show that explores what happens after you tear down theatre's structures". The Stage. Retrieved 15 August 2025.(subscription required)
  22. Crompton, Sarah (12 October 2021). "Sarah Crompton on Lucy Kirkwood's Maryland: It's impossible not to be angry". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  23. "Transcript of Milli Bhatia and Temi Wilkey in conversation". Royal Court Theatre. 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  24. Rooney, Emma (16 March 2022). "Timberlake Wertenbaker, Travis Alabanza and Amy Trigg join BURN IT DOWN at Stratford East". West End Best Friend. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  25. Wyver, Kate (18 July 2022). "'Words and stories can be dangerous': director Milli Bhatia and writer Sonali Bhattacharyya". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  26. Clark, Nick (20 July 2022). "Milli Bhatia on how raving and activism influence her work and directing Chasing Hares at the Young Vic". Evening Standard. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  27. Moses, Caro (26 April 2024). "Sonali Bhattacharyya: Liberation Squares". This Week. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  28. Sallon, Miriam (4 October 2024). "King Troll (The Fawn) at the New Diorama Theatre – review". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  29. "Milli Bhatia – Liberation Squares – Brixton House #Offies 2024 #NewNoms: DIRECTOR (PLAYS)". Offies. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  30. Thomas, Pramod (12 April 2025). "Milli Bhatia directs bold new play unpacking British Asian experience of anger". Eastern Eye. Retrieved 9 May 2025.