Why Diya Khatri From NCIS Season 20, Episode 6 Looks So Familiar
Now in its 20th season, "NCIS" remains one of the most popular shows on television. It's an impressive feat for the long-running procedural, especially given the series' behind-the-scenes drama. In 2007, "NCIS" showrunner Donald P. Bellisario – who also created "Magnum, P.I.," "Quantum Leap," and "JAG" — was ousted from the series following reported disputes with star Mark Harmon. More drama followed when Bellisario sued CBS for going ahead with the production of "NCIS: Los Angeles," a move that undermined a clause in Bellisario's contract that he would have first dibs on a spin-off. Bellisario and CBS settled out of court, and "NCIS" has been chugging along ever since.
Season 20 of "NCIS" marks the first full season since Mark Harmon's departure partway through Season 19. The vibe on the "NCIS" set without Harmon may be different, but rest assured, the special agents are keeping busy. In Episode 6, titled "The Good Fighter," an "NCIS" agent turns up dead and Kasie (Diona Reasonover) goes undercover, implicating a whole mess of minor characters in the process. Here's where you may have seen the actress who plays Diya Khatri before.
Menik Gooneratne played Priya Kapoor on Neighbours
Born in England, Menik Gooneratne is a Sri Lankan-Australian actress. She spent her childhood traveling around various developing nations with her father for his work with the UN. She caught the acting bug in Papua New Guinea, where, as a kindergartener, she was cast in a play (via Instagram). Gooneratne and her family ultimately settled in Australia, where she secured early roles in Australian series like "Neighbours," "MDA," and "Underbelly" (via IMDb).
Following a single-episode appearance on "Neighbours" in 2000, Gooneratne returned to the famed soap opera in 2011 in a more permanent capacity. For over 100 episodes between 2011 and 2013, Gooneratne played Priya Kapoor, a member of the first non-white family to move to Ramsay Street. Gooneratne recalls her time on the series with nostalgia and pride.
"Playing Priya Kapoor and being involved in such an important step towards diversity & inclusion on Australian screens was one of the greatest privileges of my career," the actress wrote on Instagram. "From unleashing my inner Murali during a game of street cricket on Ramsay St; to the Diwali episode; to running Erinsborough High with a (tiny) iron fist; I have so many fond memories from my time on 'Neighbours.'"
She played Kylie in The Wizards of Aus
With "The Rings of Power" and "House of the Dragon" two of the most talked-about shows on television, it's clear that people are clamoring for fantasy series more than ever. Australian director Michael Shanks was ahead of the curve in 2016, and he set out to create an adult-friendly sendup of all things fantastical. The result is "The Wizards of Aus," a six-part comedy series directed by and starring Shanks. The series follows Jack, a wizard who's sick of the Magical Realm's obsession with warfare and decamps to Footscray, Melbourne.
"The Wizards of Aus" parodies wildly popular epics like "Game of Thrones" and "Lord of the Rings," but it's plenty self-deprecating as well. ("It's not Middle Earth," reads the text in the trailer. "It's not even New Zealand.") As the series follows Jack's attempts to assimilate into human society, it also satirizes immigration, xenophobia, and bureaucracy. To that end, Menik Gooneratne plays Kylie, a local government caseworker tasked with helping Jack.
Gooneratne was a freedom fighter in Peter Jackson's Mortal Engines
The same year as "The Wizards of Aus," Menik Gooneratne appeared in her biggest film to date as Swarmina in "Lion." The film stars Dev Patel and tells the true story of a man who sets out to find his Indian family from whom he was separated as a child. "'Lion' was such a special film to be involved in," Gooneratne told Indie Activity. "Having the chance to work with such a revered and prolific actor as Nicole Kidman was icing on the cake."
Gooneratne followed up the critically acclaimed "Lion" with 2018's "Mortal Engines." A steampunk adventure film from Peter Jackson, "Mortal Engines" takes place in the future during a time of "Municipal Darwinism," wherein mobile cities roam the landscape and absorb smaller towns. Gooneratne plays Sathya, an aviator for the rebel Anti-Traction League, and was able to draw from her background in preparing for the film.
"Sathya is essentially a freedom fighter, a ruthless warrior, but also quite spiritual," said Gooneratne. "So I spent a lot of time learning about freedom fighters as well as Buddhism. My grandmother was Buddhist so I'd spent some time in Sri Lanka at the temples there, so I was able to draw on that personal experience."