You Ask: Paige Sandhu
PAIGE SANDHU Emmerdale’s Meena Jutla ...faces your questions!
Dales newcomer Meena has shocked us with her deceitful nature, but when it comes to answering your questions, actress Paige is an open book…
“Can you tell us a bit about your
rst day on Emmerdale?”
It was a really nice day in July, and I was so nervous! But I filmed three scenes with Bhasker [Patel, aka Rishi] and Rebecca [Sarker, who plays Manpreet], and they were the perfect people to work with, so lovely and kind. They’re both very funny, and I really enjoyed it after I got over the firstday nerves. I remember
I got lost the first time I went to the village – I was wandering around with no idea where
I was going. But when you see the village, it’s incredible.
“What’s the best thing about having Rebecca Sarker as your screen sister?” That I get to work with her all the time! She’s so hard-working, and whenever I struggle with a scene, she’s always there to help me. Plus, Rebecca has the funniest laugh ever – it’s like a cackle! She’s my favourite person to work with.
“Do you have siblings in real life? If so, what do they think of Meena?”
I have three younger siblings – a brother and two sisters. My youngest sister is an actress as well, and she loves Meena. If you’re going to play anyone, you want to play someone who’s a bit of a villain who does dodgy stuff. My nan actually said to me on the phone yesterday, “Meena’s a little madam, isn’t she? I hope she doesn’t get into more trouble”. But I have the best character, Meena’s so fun and so sneaky – she’s not one to have a guilty conscience.
“Do you think you would have made a good nurse in real life?” I don’t know – I mean, nursing is a hard job! But funnily enough when I was a teenager, I told my careers advisor that I wanted to be an actress. He gave me this look like, ‘Oh God’, and said I needed a plan B, and that plan was to be a nurse. I do like wearing the uniform, though – they’re Meena’s comfiest clothes. She’s normally in high heels!
“What do you think about David and Meena as a couple?”
“What do you think of David and Meena?”
To be honest, I think their relationship is a bit toxic, as Meena isn’t truthful all the time. She’s manipulative, very jealous and possessive. Meena really loves David, but the way that she loves people isn’t the way that normal people love. Happily, Matthew [Wolfenden, aka David] is another really welcoming person, and everyone on set just loves him – he brightens up everyone’s day.
“Where’s the rst place you would like to go for the day once we’re allowed to travel again?” Well, I took a week off recently as I was supposed to be in Bulgaria with my boyfriend – so I’d like to go there when we can. And one of my friends is getting married in Greece at the end of July, so I’m really hoping that goes ahead – but we’ll just have to wait and see.
“Who would you like to have more scenes with?”
I’d love to film scenes with Kim Tate. I think that Meena and Kim would be such a powerful little duo. If they went head-to-head fighting about something, or scheming against each other, that would be amazing! Claire King is such a great actress, and her character is incredible. She’s the Queen of Emmerdale.
“What inspired you to become an actress?” When I was 11, I did an amateur production of Les Misérables for charity. We did a couple more productions in the following years, and I recall being on stage and being like, “Wow!” – I’d never experienced anything like it. It was the first time that I felt really good at anything. I love being on stage. I’ve always wanted to play Lady Macbeth since I was little, and I’ve auditioned to play her a lot, but never won the role – one day it’ll happen!
“What’s the viewer reaction been to Meena so far?”
I tend to stay away from people’s comments and reactions online, just for my mental health. I’ve had a few people message me saying the kindest things: how they love Meena, and that she adds some spice to the show. I’ve also heard that there are other people who really don’t like her, and I did have someone tell me in person to stay away from David! I think you either love Meena or hate her – there’s no middle ground!
“What show did you most recently binge-watch?”
I just binged season one of Marcella on Netflix. It’s so good, and Anna Friel is just amazing! There are a lot of dark twists in it. I’m probably going to start watching season two today.
“What would be your dream storyline for Meena?”
Well, actually, I will be doing my dream storyline for Meena this year! I wish I could tell you what it is, but I can’t. It’s really exciting and something that people will definitely want to watch. My dreams are coming true!
“Can you tell us about your rst day on set?”