Editing Meera Syal (section)

== Other notable appearances ==
Syal is an occasional singer, having achieved a number one record with [[Gareth Gates]] and her co-stars from ''The Kumars at No. 42'' with "[[Spirit in the Sky]]", the [[Comic Relief]] single.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/10_october/06/amazing_syal_biog.shtml |title=Press Office – The Amazing Mrs Pritchard Meera Syal |publisher=BBC |access-date=23 August 2013 |archive-date=16 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181016221158/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/10_october/06/amazing_syal_biog.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> She earlier (1988) provided vocals for a [[Bhangra (music)|bhangra]] version of "Then He Kissed Me", composed by [[Biddu]] and with the [[Music of Pakistan|Pakistani pop star]] [[Nazia Hassan]], as part of the short-lived [[girl group|girl band]] Saffron.<ref name="independent1" /> In June 2003 she appeared as a guest on [[BBC Radio 4]]'s ''[[Desert Island Discs]]'' programme with a selection of music by [[Nitin Sawhney]], Madan Bala Sindhu, [[Joni Mitchell]], [[Pizzicato Five]], [[Sukhwinder Singh]], [[Louis Armstrong]] and others. The luxury she chose to ease her life as a castaway was a piano.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20030601.shtml |title=Desert Island Discs – Castaway : Meera Syal |publisher=BBC |date=1 June 2003 |access-date=23 August 2013 |archive-date=17 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517124958/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs_20030601.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>

Having studied English at university and penned two novels and a variety of scripts and screenplays, Syal was chosen as one of the guests on "The Cultural Exchange" slot of ''[[Front Row (radio programme)|Front Row]]'' on 30 April 2013, when she nominated ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'' by [[Harper Lee]] as a piece of art work which she loved.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p016p5mb/profiles/meera-syal |title=BBC Radio 4 – Front Row's Cultural Exchange – Meera Syal |publisher=Bbc.co.uk |access-date=23 August 2013}}</ref>

As a journalist, she writes occasionally for ''[[The Guardian]]''.<ref name="britishcouncil1" />