Culture

Indira Varma

Female Empowerment is Sexy

Since graduating at the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1995, Olivier Award winner Indira Varma hasn’t stopped working, be that in theatre, television or film. Outspoken and passionate, in this interview with Julia Pasarón, she speaks about her most recent projects and next releases, which include shows as diverse as Coldwater, The Capture, The Other Bennet Sister and the new season of The Night Manager.

Born in Bath to an Indian father and Swiss mother, Indira felt attracted to acting from a very early age; she loved dressing up and telling stories. With her mixed heritage, she felt intrigued by the different ways of expressing oneself, of being ‘other’. Acting offered a way to explore these concerns and RADA became the vehicle to get there. At the academy, she learnt to believe she could do anything – a belief she very much still holds. “I’ve always felt that everybody should go to drama school, because you learn a lot about who you are as a person, and that kind of empowers you.”

By her own admittance, her real passion is theatre – a passion rewarded with an Olivier award in 2020. However, international recognition came with the controversial 1996 film by Mira Nair, Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love. For Indira, it was “a baptism of fire. I was very young and naïve. I got very angry. I didn’t want to conform to the beauty standard they wanted and I didn’t want to be typecast, which happened for a while after the film.” It was a tough experience but as she says, “also formative”. Still, she feels a deep admiration for the director Mira Nair. “She has done stunning films, prior and post Kama Sutra. And she has been at the forefront of filmmaking for decades. As a woman of colour, that is quite incredible.”

Indira Varma photographed by David Reiss

She went back to theatre, which she prefers to film as it gives actors “much more autonomy. Theatre is the best place to practise your craft.” As the strong woman she is, Indira pushed through and steadily started to get interesting jobs on television and film, in roles that were not associated with how she looks.

For three decades, Indira has worked untiringly and, if her current shows and line-up of releases are any indication, she has no intention to slow down. In the first quarter of 2025, she played Jocasta in Oedipus at the Old Vic opposite Oscar-winner Rami Malek. Her performance was praised by critics across the board, described as powerful and captivating. It earned her an Olivier nomination for Best Actress.

On television, Indira was just recently seen in the unsettling ITV thriller Coldwater, in which a middle-class man, John (played by Andrew Lincoln) and wife Fiona (Varma) move to Scotland after a violent episode in London only to get involved with a dangerous neighbour, Tommy (Ewen Bremmer) married to a rather unusual vicar (Eve Myles).

Writer David Ireland explores trust turning toxic and the complex dynamics of long-term marriage. Jon is the weak character in the show, whose weaknesses are at the root of all the trouble that unravels. Fiona is a strong and determined woman who ultimately gets them out of the entanglement. “I think it’s interesting how David wrote Jon’s character,” Indira comments. “It is a different take on masculinity and on how insecure men can be.”

Indira is warm and makes you feel instantly at ease when talking to her. At the same time, she exudes confidence and power. Usually cast to play very strong women, she thinks this may be due to “the energy you give off”.

“When I was starting in the business, I was often told that I didn’t have enough vulnerability, which was very upsetting,” she shares. “Of course I am a vulnerable person.” Reflecting Indira adds, “Maybe this happened because television and film at the time were dominated by men, who wrote stories where the female characters were skinny, small and either victims or man-dependent.” At 5’8”, with her long neck and commanding presence, Indira has a statuesque elegance that could be perceived by men as verging on intimidating. “The truth is that there are many petite feisty women, but the stereotype is still there,” she adds.

Not that she is complaining. She gets to play really interesting women, such as Khadija Khan in the disturbing BBC show, The Capture, alongside Holiday Grainger, Lia Williams and Ben Miles. Khadija is a sharp, formidable BBC Newsnight presenter and journalist who becomes a key figure in uncovering the truth within the shadowy world of misinformation and surveillance central to the show.

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Read much more about Indira Varma, her forthcoming projects and her opinions on female empowerment, wars, racism, identity, and breaking industry stereotypes in the winter issue of I-M Inquisitive Minds, now available to pre-order at an early bird price, HERE.