MANJINDER VIRK
Screen International star of tomorrow, Manjinder is an award winning actor, writer and director who
has worked extensively in theatre, film and television. As an actor, Manjinder won great critical
acclaim for her role as Lorraine Dunbar in Clio Barnard’s, THE ARBOR about the life of playwright
Andrea Dunbar. She was nominated for Best Actress and Best Newcomer at the British
Independent Awards and Best Newcomer at the BFI London film festival awards. She also starred
in the lead role in Peter Kosminky’s BAFTA winning drama, BRITZ (Channel 4) alongside Riz
Ahmed.
Other roles include regulars in popular running shows including, pathologist Dr Kam Karimore in UK’s longest running detective show, MIDSOMER MURDERS alongside Neil Dudgeon and Gwilym Lee, Dr Sally Fortune in Peter Bowker’s MONROE (BBC) alongside James Nesbitt, Marianne Norton in Danny Brocklehurst’s ORDINARY LIES (BBC) alongside Michelle Keoghan and Meena in Jack Dee and Peter Sinclair’s comedy, BAD MOVE (ITV). She had a regular role as DI Samira Desai in Jed Mercurio’s TRIGGER POINT (ITV) alongside Vicky McClure and most recently, SHETLAND (BBC).
As a writer, Manjinder started at the Royal Court Young writers programme. Her first play, GLOW about an Asian teenage girl boxer was commissioned by Theatre Centre and was published in their anthology alongside playwrights, Roy Williams and Benjamin Zephaniah. She also wrote and performed her one woman show, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE (Lyric Hammersmith) to a sold out tour of regional theatres.
Manjinder has written and directed several short films including the award winning, OUT OF DARKNESS starring Tom Hiddleston, Riz Ahmed, Noma Dumezwani and Monica Dolan. The film premiered at the 57th BFI London Film festival and won Best Film and Best Drama at Aesthetica Film festival and Best film and Best Experimental Film at Still/Moving Film Festival, Brixton. Mark Kermode called the film “Intriguing and thought provoking”. Other short films include FORGIVE starring Sacha Dhawan, WITH LOVE FROM CALAIS and 23 DAYS.
She is in development with her first feature film, THINGS WE NEVER SAID as writer/director, with BFI and Wild Swim (Ivana Mackinnon and Emily Leo). A short film was made as a proof of concept starring Anjli Mohindra and Shazad Latif. The film was selected for several festivals, including Aesthetica Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, LA shorts, Best of India Short film festival, Flickers Rhode Island International Film festival, making it an Oscar and BAFTA qualifying film.
Photography by Charlie Gray
Other roles include regulars in popular running shows including, pathologist Dr Kam Karimore in UK’s longest running detective show, MIDSOMER MURDERS alongside Neil Dudgeon and Gwilym Lee, Dr Sally Fortune in Peter Bowker’s MONROE (BBC) alongside James Nesbitt, Marianne Norton in Danny Brocklehurst’s ORDINARY LIES (BBC) alongside Michelle Keoghan and Meena in Jack Dee and Peter Sinclair’s comedy, BAD MOVE (ITV). She had a regular role as DI Samira Desai in Jed Mercurio’s TRIGGER POINT (ITV) alongside Vicky McClure and most recently, SHETLAND (BBC).
As a writer, Manjinder started at the Royal Court Young writers programme. Her first play, GLOW about an Asian teenage girl boxer was commissioned by Theatre Centre and was published in their anthology alongside playwrights, Roy Williams and Benjamin Zephaniah. She also wrote and performed her one woman show, AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A FACE (Lyric Hammersmith) to a sold out tour of regional theatres.
Manjinder has written and directed several short films including the award winning, OUT OF DARKNESS starring Tom Hiddleston, Riz Ahmed, Noma Dumezwani and Monica Dolan. The film premiered at the 57th BFI London Film festival and won Best Film and Best Drama at Aesthetica Film festival and Best film and Best Experimental Film at Still/Moving Film Festival, Brixton. Mark Kermode called the film “Intriguing and thought provoking”. Other short films include FORGIVE starring Sacha Dhawan, WITH LOVE FROM CALAIS and 23 DAYS.
She is in development with her first feature film, THINGS WE NEVER SAID as writer/director, with BFI and Wild Swim (Ivana Mackinnon and Emily Leo). A short film was made as a proof of concept starring Anjli Mohindra and Shazad Latif. The film was selected for several festivals, including Aesthetica Film Festival, London Short Film Festival, LA shorts, Best of India Short film festival, Flickers Rhode Island International Film festival, making it an Oscar and BAFTA qualifying film.
Photography by Charlie Gray