Samir Bhamra on writing for ‘The Break’ on BBC Three: “I have experienced a plethora of emotions”

Samir Bhamra, producer and musical director at Phizzical Productions, has been confirmed as one of five new writers for the upcoming season of ‘The Break’ on BBC Three.

The short-form drama series is a collaboration between BBC Writersroom, BBC Three and BBC Studios and aims to showcase the best original, contemporary stories that reflect modern life in the UK.

Bhamra joins Katie Arnstein, Laura Maloney, Tal Davies and Omar Khan as the five writers of the show. The two directors are Tenisha White and Clare Anyiam-Osigwe. Amongst the writers selected this year, following an open call out on the BBC Writersroom website, are three who were part of BBC Writersroom’s Coventry Voices development group, an initiative which ran as part of Coventry City of Culture in 2021 to develop their writing skills and secure opportunities across the BBC’s scripted output.

Talking exclusively to BizAsiaLive.com, Bhamra said, “I didn’t think it would ever happen. I submitted the original idea in Oct 2021. 16 months and umpteen drafts and titles later, Make U Amazing was finally in green lit. It’s been challenging to create something for a significantly younger audience – and very exciting to discover that I can find the right tone, rhythms and vocabulary of social media influencers today. I have experienced a plethora of emotions with this story. None of it comes close to the people who openly shared their lived experiences. They dug deep to reveal their most vulnerable moments. For that I am forever grateful. I hope I have captured their indelible strength and spirit. And I am so pleased with how Tenisha White directed the script, working with an incredibly cast who have lived experiences that match the script. I am really hoping Make U Amazing will be a mirror to progressively transform our communities and readdress the limiting issues of a binary society.”

Bhamra is a Kenyan born, Midlands based writer, director, costume designer and producer of Indian and Pakistani heritage. He is the artistic director of the theatre production company Phizzical and the creative director of the UK Asian Film Festival.

Filming has just been completed in Birmingham and the short films will be available to watch on BBC Three later in 2023.