Leicester actress Parminder Nagra stars in new ITV medical drama 'Maternal'

ITV's six-part medical drama 'Maternal' airs on Monday 16 January on ITV 1 at 9.00pm.


Parminder Nagra will hit our screens tonight on ITV, in a new six-part medical drama 'Maternal'.

It's about three female doctors returning to post-pandemic frontline medicine after maternity leave and having to heroically balance the intense demands of the NHS and motherhood. Parminder, who grew up in Leicester, is best known for her roles in Bend It Like Beckham, ER, DI Ray and Blacklist. She plays paediatric registrar Dr Maryam Afridi in 'Maternal'.

She's joined by Lara Pulver (The Split, The Alienist) and Lisa McGrillis (King Gary, Mum).   

Parminder Nagra, Lara Pulver and Lisa McGrillis join forces in ITV's 'Maternal'. Credit: ITV Studios

ITV Studios says 'Maternal' explores working motherhood with 'wit, warmth and humour and offers a unique perspective on our beloved, overstretched NHS, and the people who hold it together'. 

Who is Parminder Nagra?

Nagra was born in Leicester in 1975. Her parents, Sukha and Nashuter Nagra were factory workers who emigrated from the Punjab region of India in the 1960's.

She went to Northfield House Primary School in Leicester and later Soar Valley College.

Credit: ITV Studios

Nagra became part of the Leicester-based theatre company Haithizi Productions and was the lead actress in the 1994 musical Nimai presented at the Haymarket Theatre.

She left Leicester for London to pursue a theatrical career and her childhood ambition of becoming an actress.

She was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctors of Letters by the University of Leicester in July 2007.


What has Parminder Nagra been in?

Nagra played the lead role in Gurinder Chadha's 2002 comedy-drama Bend It Like Beckham, which became her breakthrough film aged 27 - alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Shaheen Khan, and Keira Knightley.

Nagra's breakthrough film role was in 'Bend It Like Beckham', alongside Keira Knightley Credit: 'Bend It Like Beckham' / PA Images

Some of her other notable roles include in NBC's medical drama 'ER' from 2003 - 2009, the second season of the Netflix's 13 Reasons Why as Priya Singh, the new counsellor of Liberty High and in 2018 Netflix hit Birdbox alongside Sandra Bullock.

Most recently, Nagra played the lead role in ITV drama 'DI Ray' as Detective Inspector Rachita Ray.

Maternal airs on ITV1 and ITVX on Monday 16th January at 9pm.