Grandmother’s dreams come true as she appears in Vera and opens beauty business

A Teesside grandmother says she’s determined to live life to the full – whether that’s starting her own business or appearing in one of TV’s most successful shows.

Amita Karda, 45, said when she was a young girl in India her passions were beauty and acting but they had to take a back seat when she moved to a new life in England. The Middlesbrough resident trained to be a nurse in Sunderland and worked part-time in the beauty department of Debenhams.

Although she maintained her interest in the beauty business – and went on a course about self-employment – her priority was to have a steady income to provide for her family. But now, finally, her dreams are coming true: opening her beauty salon – Amita’s Celestial Beauty – in the Dundas Indoor Market in Middlesbrough and appearing in ITV’s hit police drama Vera.

Amita said she was naturally a bit apprehensive about starting her business but felt that there was “something inside telling me to take the risk. It happened all of a sudden but every morning I arrive I feel thankful.”

The salon offers treatments for brows and eye-lashes, as well as body massage and waxing, and Amita is already busy recruiting a hairdresser. She might also need a beautician to provide occasional cover if her acting career takes off.

She was an extra in Vera, part of a crowd watching the detective arrive at a murder scene on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast. She was also a hand model for a film shot in a Tyneside studio and played a patient as the bedside manners of Newcastle medical students were assessed in an exam.

“It’s not just about making money,” said Amita. “Life is giving me opportunities and I’m very grateful for that.”

What else is happening at the shopping centre?

Amita’s arrival at the indoor market is one of a number of developments there this autumn. Jean’s Kitchen, its oldest business, is undergoing a major expansion. Nicole Bean – who has run Alta Ego since 2017 – is launching a second shop. Baby Beautiful has opened early for its annual return in the run up to Christmas and new trader Pick ‘n Mix Pod has proved so successful it has moved to a bigger unit.

The Dundas Shopping Centre underground car park now offers card payments, but still caters for drivers who prefer using cash, and both the centre and the market are being rebranded.

David Harris, the manager of Dundas Indoor Market, said: “It’s really sad that we’ve lost so many well-known names – like M&S and Wilko – in such a short time. But retail is changing and many places around the country are seeing a big growth in independents. That’s really encouraging and one of the reasons why we’re investing here in time for Christmas.”