Threads of Healing

A new drama from writer Parvinder Shergill, in her Radio 4 debut, starring Parminder Nagra and Meera Syal.

Three years after her father's death, Bal returns to her childhood Gurdwara in Leicester. As a girl she hid from a violent father who resented her for not being a son. She ran from home, into abusive relationships of her own, and couldn't face his funeral.

Now, in her black business suit among the jewel-toned saris, she finds her mother laughing in the langar hall. Over chai and chapatis, Bal is determined to confront the past they buried. Why did her mother stay? Why did Bal never come home?

As memories clash, both women see how each tried to protect the other. A story of family trauma, Sikh identity and the courage to forgive, featuring sound recorded at a working Gurdwara.

The Writer
Dr Parvinder Shergill is an award winning consultant psychiatrist in the NHS, and BAFTA qualified writer-filmmaker and actress. Her last film KAUR was distributed by Netflix and ITVX, while her current feature film Touche, with Stephen Fry, is set for theatrical release in 2026 and has already won Best British Feature Film at UKAFF. She has credits with Marvel, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Channel 4, BBC to name a few. She is also a published author for books, magazines, and has had her own radio show focussing on mental health. Threads of Healing is her first radio commission.

Cast:
Bal ….. Parminder Nagra
Mrs Shokar ….. Meera Syal
Child Bal ….. Mia Saddington-Poole

Writer: Parvinder Shergill
Director: Rupert Charmak
Sound Designer: Jon Nicholls
Composer: Niroshini Thambar
Cover artwork and creative direction: Matias design studio
Illustration Creative Director: Matias Luquez Marin
Illustration: Caroline Jones
Production Manager: Darren Spruce
Vocal editor: Antonia Gospel
Executive Producer: Polly Thomas

With thanks to Central Gurdwara London, Khalsa Jatha based in Holland Park

A Thomas Carter Projects production for BBC Radio 4