Plays role of a prostitute.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: With Sunday night’s premiere of the fourth season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” – the rabidly popular fantasy series based on the books by George R.R. Martin – came the re-introduction of old friends and foes, and the debut of some new characters, including one played by Indian-origin actress Indira Varma.
Varma essays the role of Ellaria Sand, a prostitute in the fictional land of Westeros, who is the lover of Oberyn Martell (played by Pedro Pascal), who runs afoul of the powerful Lannister clan. Varma is no stranger to HBO, having played an integral role in their “Rome” series, which ran from 2005-2007. But her role in “Game of Thrones” may be the biggest of her career, especially since the character is set to appear in subsequent seasons (if the show remains faithful to its source novels).
Born in Bath, England, to a Swiss/Genoese mother and Indian father, Varma’s film debut came in 1996’s Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love, the controversial film directed by Mira Nair, which also starred Naveen Andrews and Rekha. Since then, Varma has stayed primarily on television, with her more notable roles occurring on the BBC series “Luther,” in which she played the title character’s ex-wife, and the Fox TV show “Human Target.” She has also dabbled in theatre, appearing in plays in both New York City and London. She is currently married to British actor Colin Tierney, with whom she has one child.
Season four of “Game of Thrones” is based on the second half of “A Storm of Swords,” the third novel in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series of books that is set to contain seven novels total. The show has proven to be HBO’s biggest hit, both commercially and critically, and has won numerous industry awards for its visual effects, production design, and performances; specifically that of Peter Dinklage. The show’s popularity is so rampant that the program is frequently listed among the most pirated shows each year, since it debuted in 2011.
So far, six novels in the series have been released, with author Martin taking his time to release the series’ final volume. HBO recently announced that they will cap the show at seven seasons, leaving open the possibility of a film adaptation afterward to end their rendition of the story.
The current season will air its remaining nine episodes over the next several weeks, Sunday nights at9:00 PM. Sunday night’s premiere brought in 6.6 million viewers, beating the Season 3 premiere’s 4.4 million. Varma’s role is expected to increase as the current season progresses.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com