Maya

Maya is a bright, outspoken, sparky character – someone who gets things done and makes things happen. She is confident, mature, and secure in her Deaf identity. She has no time for Mel. She does what she can to take care of Kelly, whom she sees as a younger sister. She's quick-witted, perceptive and fiercely loyal to her friends – and to Michael, whom she respects and admires. Maya also likes to have a good time.

'In the second series I've really enjoyed playing Maya, because her character was enriched by the conflict between traditional Indian beliefs and her own Deaf beliefs,' says Deepa Shastri. 'This is an interesting issue, faced every day in many Asian families. The beauty of this issue is that it's not just relevant to Asian families but to many other families with strong traditions. They have nothing but the best intentions for the deaf individual, but this doesn't always create the best outcome.

'There were some emotional scenes and I had to dig deep inside to get the right emotions. It was a good challenge.

'The most enjoyable part for me was filming with my family, who acted as Anjali's family. I enjoyed the fact that my family had the opportunity to watch me in action.

'Because Maya's character faces some difficult issues this time around, sadly I had to give up my Xena Warrior Princess outfit!'

Deepa met the Rush producer, Ray Harrison Graham, when he taught her in the drama class at the Unicorn Theatre. GCSE exams intervened but at the BSL March in July 2000 at Trafalgar Square she bumped into Ray again, and he persuaded her to be part of the VEE-TV drama series.

Deepa is now 23 and currently studying part-time to complete a BA in business studies. 'In the future, my ambition is to get a job relating to deaf people – for example, trying to resolve discriminatory cases faced by many deaf people,' she told VEE-TV online. 'The reason for this is that I have recently experienced discrimination first-hand. This has made me more determined to diminish or change attitudes for the better.

'As an actress, I hope to raise my profile by doing more filming and theatre work, to enable me to expand on my creative side.'

Top