Divian Ladwa

TV and film

Divian Ladwa's film debut came in a micro-budget feature Saxon (film) where he played a hot-headed Rahim Begum alongside Sean Harris. The film won Best European Drama at the ECU European Independent Film Festival and was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.

His next role was highly contrasting: a quiet and shy Dev King in the British feature film 8 Minites Idle. The cast included Tom Hughes (actor), Ophelia Lovibond, Antonia Thomas, Montserrat Lombard and Jack Ashton.

Ladwa is popularly known for playing the innocent and awkward Hugh in the BAFTA winning comedy series Detectorists written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Originally aired on BBC Four, the show has developed a cult following in the UK and soon after in the USA when the series became accessible on Netflix.

In 2017, Ladwa received notable global attention for playing a psychologically traumatised character in the Oscar nominated Best Picture Lion (2016 film). The film starred Nicole Kidman and David Wenham as his adoptive parents and Dev Patel as his adoptive brother. The two time BAFTA winning film, which also starred Rooney Mara, was nominated for four Golden Globes including Best Picture and six Academy Awards.

Other

Away from TV and Film, Ladwa has worked in highly prominent Radio plays, mostly for BBC Radio 4, reading parts that include secondary school student Charlie in School Drama and as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet opposite Tom Hollander. He also played Vince the Mushroom Man in a continuation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere series, How The Marquis Got His Coat Back and University student Max in Ed Reardon's Week.

He has an extensive theatre background working with a wide range of companies including Tamasha Theatre Company and Fluxx Improvised Theatre, early in his career.

• Saxon (film)
• 8 Minites Idle
• Frayed
• You, Me and the Apocalypse
• Detectorists
• My Dad
• Lion (2016 film)
• Come and Get Me