A TALENTED teenager from Basingstoke was watched by 2.9 million viewers on television on Sunday, in a new prime time drama.

Ashna Rabheru landed a role in Indian Summers – a £14 million Channel 4 period drama which focuses on British expats during the last days of the Raj in 1932.

Nearly three million people, 13.4 per cent of viewers, watched the hour-and-a-half opening show on Sunday, during which 18-year-old Ashna was seen playing the role of Shamshad Dalal – the younger sister of Aafrin, who is one of the main characters.

The 10 episode programme, filmed in Malaysia, is the most expensive drama in Channel 4’s history and stars BAFTA award-winning Julie Walters as well as other big name stars including Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Jemima West and Nikesh Patel.

It is set to be shown in America later this year.

Ashna, an A Level student at Queen Mary’s College, said she watched the first episode on Sunday with a friend in London, where she is acting in a short film for BBC iPlayer.

She said: “I think it’s amazing. It’s really beautifully filmed and it’s really cool to see it all come together.”

The teenager, who spent two-and-a-half months in Malaysia for the filming, added: “It’s really awkward watching yourself on television, I don’t really like it, especially when there’s someone else in the room.”

Ashna, who lives with her parents in Brighton Hill, saw a preview of the first episode ahead of Sunday night, but said she has not seen the rest of the series.

She auditioned for the role after being signed by Identity Agency Group, and said she has already received other offers, including the BBC film, as a result.

She added: “Right now I’m still in college doing my A Levels so I’m trying to slow things down a bit and focus on that.”

But the teenager said it was an incredible experience working with big name actors, adding: “I look up to a lot of them and they all helped me out and gave great advice.”

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