Charithra Chandran: Bridgerton star on fame, family and stereotypes

"When are you going to get a proper job?" is a question that you probably wouldn't ask an actress who's starred in Bridgerton.

But Charithra Chandran says it's one her grandparents only recently stopped throwing her way.

As well as playing Edwina Sharma in the Netflix hit, the 27-year-old also appeared in spy thriller Alex Rider and will soon be seen in upcoming Prime film How to Date Billy Walsh.

Charithra has a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, but it wasn't enough to pull her away from acting.

And while her rise might look rapid, she doesn't necessarily see it that way.

"I feel like I'm really hard on myself. I see myself as a failure and I'm constantly failing and trying to dig myself out of a hole," she says.

"From the outside it can seem like you're thrust into this crazy world, but for me, it hasn't felt like that."

Her success was never guaranteed, and her family haven't always been on board with her chosen profession, even though the signs were always there.

"My parents weren't happy... aren't happy, but they also brought it on themselves," she says.

"Since I was born, I've always been a performer, whether it's little dances, singalongs, plays, and they loved it.

"So I'm like: what did you guys expect?"

Although they're slowly coming around to her career choice, Charithra admits her grandparents in India "find it really hard to understand" because of their own upbringing.

"Growing up in the 50s and 60s, their mind is stuck on what it was like for an actress back then when, unfortunately, a lot of young girls were exploited," she says.

But it's not just her own family's perceptions that Charithra hopes to change.

There was praise both for her performance in Bridgerton but also of the show's inclusion of South Asian culture.

"To be heard and listened to so early on in my career in such a big show, I felt really grateful," she tells BBC Newsbeat.

Her next role is starring in a one-woman play - Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon - based on the book of the same name.

Charithra's character navigates the rollercoaster of teenage emotions following the unexpected death of her sister - with themes of grief, eating disorders and mental health.

Although it touches on serious issues, Charithra says it's "ultimately a comedy" which shows how you can overcome challenges.

The fact that audiences will see a "brown woman on stage" is not lost on her, as theatre is traditionally "seen as something that is very white and middle class".

And while Charithra's "really proud" to be offering that representation, she says her character is presented as "just a human being who goes through life" and the play's message is for everyone.

"There isn't a right way to process grief and the difficult things that happen in life," she says.

"We all handle difficult situations in our own unique way.

"I know that when I was a teenager, I used to have these heightened emotions and be so freaked out and think 'God, I'm such a weirdo'."

Charithra hopes the play's positive message reaches audiences in the South Asian community, where discussions on sensitive subjects can be taboo.

"I know that a lot of my follower base is brown," she says.

"And I think this will enable those difficult conversations to be had, and parents and children to be more honest with each other."

Charithra says she feels progress is being made, and sees herself as carrying on the work of other actors who've paved a way for her.

"And it's only if I continue doing that work, will people succeed me and more people that look like us will be in the industry," she says.

She's also felt the evolution closer to home.

Her grandma and grandpa have recently stopped asking her when she'll get that proper job.

"I'm celebrating that and just grateful for how far they've come," she says.

She credits her family for keeping things real and grounded - and anyone who follows Charithra on social media will see lots of content related to them and her culture.

"One of the most beautiful things about South Asian culture is that we're not super individualistic. I don't see myself as an individual separate from my family," she says.

"Equally, my family don't care about acting.

"And I'm so grateful for that, because I live a very normal life."

So normal in fact, that Charithra says she sometimes forgets about her glitzy day job - her "reel life" - until she sees herself on a billboard.

"But my family and my friends, that's my real life," she says.

Instructions for a Teenage Armageddon will be at the Garrick Theatre from Sunday 17 March

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.