Saeed Jaffrey

From Debussy to Elton John.

Actor Saeed Jaffrey shares his castaway choices with Sue Lawley.

Saeed traces a career taking him from India, to New York, to London and back home to India.

Beginning with his childhood as the son of a brilliant mimic, he describes his early struggles to establish himself before going on to work with some of the biggest names in the business. Whilst working as a sales assistant in Harrods, he spotted his friend Ingrid Bergman and pretended to be a customer like her.

In the UK, Saeed was best known for his appearances in My Beautiful Laundrette, The Chess Players and The Jewel in the Crown. In India, he was a megastar who couldn't walk the streets without being mobbed.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April 1997.