London:actress Ayesha Dharkar has been asked to join the hit TV show "Coronation Street" after it faced criticism for being "too white".

According to thesun.co.uk, a study by equality chief Trevor Phillips slammed soaps for showing only black and Asian stereotypes. The 31-year-old Dharkar, who starred in "Star Wars Episode II", will appear on the show from October playing Tara Mandal.

A insider working on the show said: "We really want Ayesha to become a favourite with viewers."