(April 2, 2023) “Who would have thought that a girl from a Punjabi family who grew up in Bradford would one day hold this position,” remarked a thrilled Anita Rani while taking over as the seventh chancellor of the University of Bradford in the UK.
When the forty-five-year-old took to the stage in a custom-made black and golden mini dress with a flowing robe, she looked every bit the suave broadcaster and television presenter – a role she has played with élan in the last two decades of her career. One of the top media personnel of the UK, Anita has been appointed for the coveted role of a chancellor looking at her love for the city of Bradford, and her dedication towards education. “The University of Bradford is about to move into a really exciting phase, I’m thrilled to be part of that journey,” she said in her speech while taking the charge.
In her new role she would be nurturing the growth path of the educational establishment working as an ambassador for the institution, in the UK and abroad. As part of her official duties, she would also be conferring degrees on graduating students and chairing the University’s Court. She has announced her plans to establish Rani Scholarship to support young women to pursue higher education.
Starting her broadcasting career at the age of 14 Anita Rani is best known as a presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour and BBC One’s Countryfile. With her multifaceted achievements the British-Indian broadcaster is an incredible role model for young people.
In sync with India
Born in Bradford, West Yorkshire Rani was raised by a Sikh mother and a Hindu father. The second-generation British Indian has always been inclined towards her Indian identity. In one of the episodes of Who Do You Think You Are? broadcast on BBC One in 2015, Anita investigated the origins of her maternal grandfather Sant Singh. Born in Sarhali, Punjab in 1916, Sant Singh had lost his first wife and children during the violence of the Partition of India in 1947. He was thousand miles away in Kirkee, serving in the British Indian Army, when the gruesome event took place.
Anita presented the heart-wrenching story with lots of conviction. Sant Singh had continued to serve in the Indian Army after India’s independence, retiring as a subedar in 1970. He had breathed his last in 1975, two years before Anita’s birth. For the broadcaster who had grown listening about her family’s turmoil, taking audiences back in time was an emotionally consuming endeavour.
While shooting at the site she had remarked, “Every partition story is full of horror but this one obviously has a deep impact because it’s my family. They were slaughtered right here, where I’m standing, in the most brutal, horrific, tragic way.” With tears welling up her eyes she added, “I’m just trying to pay my respects. I don’t even know what to do. Over thousand people died here, and it’s just a rubbish dump. I feel so sad.”
The following year in 2016 she presented My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, a two-part programme on BBC One.
Born to be a broadcaster
Growing up in the UK, Anita went to Bradford Girls’ Grammar School and developed an early interest in journalism, hosting her first show at the age of 14 on Sunrise Radio. Later she went to pursue broadcasting at the University of Leeds, following which she joined BBC as a researcher.
Since 2002 Anita Rani has been presenting out-of-the-box shows on radio and television.
In 2011, she co-presented a two-part documentary travelogue India on Four Wheels, a road trip around the country covering the changes and problems that growing car usage has brought to India since the 1990s. This show was followed by similar shows – China on Four Wheels (aired in 2012) and Russia on Four Wheels (aired in 2014). In 2013, she had co-presented the unique live broadcast project Airport Live from Heathrow Airport.
For several thought-provoking presentations like these, Anita got honoured with the Outstanding Achievement in Television award at The Asian Awards 2018.
Life as a brown girl
The British-Indian broadcaster is a powerhouse of talent and has been very vocal about the discriminations that the Asians face. Eight years back she had participated in the thirteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing, partnering with Gleb Savchenko reaching the semi-finals getting cheers along the way.
“I still rush excitedly over to the telly if there’s someone Asian on it. And that’s why seeing a brown lass doing all right on Strictly meant such a lot to the Asian people,” she had said in an interview with Radio Times. Unhappy with the results she had added, “I still find myself wondering whether I would have got into the finals if I didn’t have a brown face!”
The presenter is not only an excellent dancer but also an author. Her memoir The Right Sort of Girl published in 2021 made to The Sunday Times Bestseller List. In the book she has embraced her Indian lineage and has brought the incidences of racism that she has faced over the years to the forefront.
Anita Rani has been serving as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Goodwill Ambassador, and The Scout Association Ambassador in the UK.
The journey ahead
Though Anita is new in the shoes of a chancellor her colleagues believe she is the right fit. Professor Shirley Congdon, vice chancellor of the University of Bradford, remarked during the installation ceremony, “Anita is our perfect choice as chancellor: bold, witty and fiercely independent, she represents our university’s values and ambition – plus being a proud Bradfordian she is as passionate about this great city as we are.”
Expressing how overwhelming the new role is Anita mentioned, “I hope to be able to give back to the city that gave me so much. As a chancellor I will be encouraging students to soak it all up, make the most of opportunities and then to be brave, ambitious, and resilient when they graduate – confident that they have what they need to succeed.” For the youngsters Anita Rani stands tall as an inspiration and a befitting example of reaching the zenith despite the odds.
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Shweta Gulati[/caption]
"My father taught me to cultivate corn at a young age, my father planted lots of corn, so that mom can make tortillas for the family," - A photo by Shweta Gulati[/caption]
A workshop by Shweta Gulati[/caption]
The Masterchef Australia crew[/caption]
Sujay Sohani and Subodh Joshi[/caption]
The new school site[/caption]
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