Queen celebrates Asian talent

Bhangra and Bollywood came to Buckingham Palace last night as the Queen celebrated Britain's Asian talent.

The monarch hosted a reception for Indian writers, actors, sportsmen and business people ahead of a state visit by the Indian President Pratibha Patil at the end of the month.

Husband and wife Sanjeev Bhaskar and Meera Syal, the stars of the award winning BBC comedy show The Kumars at No 42, were among the guests treated to an extract of the hit show Bollywood Steps.

The performance took place in the palace's ballroom in the shadow of a 30ft domed red velvet canopy, used at the Coronation Durbar, or court, of George V and Queen Mary in Delhi, India in 1911.