Coronation Street’s Shobna Gulati Comes Out as Non-Binary
- In a candid revelation, Shobna Gulati, known for their role as Sunita Alahan on ITV's Coronation street, has publicly announced that they identify as non-binary.
- Gulati, aged 58, discussed their gender identity on Kaye Adams' How to be 60 podcast.
- They elaborated on their journey to understanding their identity:
Shobna Gulati, Coronation Street Star, Announces They Are Non-Binary
Table of Contents
- Shobna Gulati, Coronation Street Star, Announces They Are Non-Binary
- Shobna Gulati: Coronation Street star Opens Up About Being Non-Binary
- who is Shobna Gulati?
- What does it mean to be non-binary, according to Shobna Gulati?
- How did Shobna Gulati come to realize they were non-binary?
- What is Shobna Gulati’s stance on dating?
- Who is Shobna Gulati’s son?
- What is Shobna Gulati’s marital history?
- Summary of Shobna Gulati’s Key Life Highlights
Published:
In a candid revelation, Shobna Gulati, known for their role as Sunita Alahan on ITV’s Coronation street, has publicly announced that they identify as non-binary. The actor, who graced the popular soap opera from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2013, shared that they recently found a term that resonates wiht their lifelong feelings.
Gulati, aged 58, discussed their gender identity on Kaye Adams’ How to be 60 podcast. They expressed:
I’ve become more happy describing myself as a person. What do people call it now? Non-binary. So, I suppose that’s who I am.
Shobna Gulati’s preferred pronouns are she/they. They elaborated on their journey to understanding their identity:
I’ve never had a word for it, but I’ve learnt from our younger generation what that might look like in terms of a word, because I know what it feels like in terms of being me. All the way through my life I’ve never had the words for that and I’ve never managed to explain that and I suppose my immediate family have not really thought about it.
Gulati further explained how their identity was perceived by those closest to them:
They’ve just thought: “Shobna is either extremely feminine or extremely masculine.” because I was just accepted as a person who fell out of the tree and equally the person who put on all this make up and did a dance.
The realization of identifying as non-binary came during a conversation with a non-binary engineer. Gulati recounted:
The sound person said to me that they were non-binary and I said: “What is that?” So, then they explained and I thought – “Well, I feel like that, but I didn’t ever have that vocabulary”.
The engineer’s explanation resonated deeply with Gulati:
They said that they saw themselves as a person and that the gender – the he or the she – wasn’t important to who they are. And I thought: ‘that’s all I’ve ever thought.
Now, Gulati feels empowered to express their true self:
And I think now I’m free to say it out loud. I think people around me have accepted who I am for a long time without any explanation, but I suppose when I’m asked now, I’ll say it.
In their personal life, Shobna Gulati was previously married to architect Anshu Srivastava. They married in 1990 and divorced four years later. In 1995, Gulati welcomed their son, Akshay, who is now 30 years old.
Adding another layer to their personal life, the Coronation street star has confirmed a new relationship, expressing:
I think I’ve loved this person all my life.
When asked about their openness to dating all genders, Shobna Gulati stated:
That is also something I’m looking at – what that means to me. So yes, I would go for a person absolutely, regardless of their gender.
Shobna Gulati: Coronation Street star Opens Up About Being Non-Binary
Published: march 20, 2025
who is Shobna Gulati?
Shobna Gulati is a British actress, best known for her role as sunita Alahan in the long-running ITV soap opera, *Coronation Street*. she appeared in the show from 2001 to 2006 and again from 2009 to 2013. More recently, Gulati has gained attention for publicly announcing that they identify as non-binary.
What does it mean to be non-binary, according to Shobna Gulati?
For Shobna Gulati, identifying as non-binary means recognizing that their gender identity doesn’t fit within the customary categories of male or female. Gulati explained that they never had the right words to describe how she felt, but realized they identified in this way after a conversation wiht a non-binary engineer. Gulati’s preferred pronouns are she/they.
I’ve become more happy describing myself as a person. What do people call it now? Non-binary. So, I suppose that’s who I am.
How did Shobna Gulati come to realize they were non-binary?
The realization came during a conversation with a non-binary sound engineer. The engineer explained that they viewed themselves as a person, and their gender wasn’t the most vital aspect of their identity.This resonated deeply with Gulati, who realized that this aligned with their lifelong feelings.
The sound person said to me that they were non-binary and I said: “What is that?” So, then they explained and I thought – ”Well, I feel like that, but I didn’t ever have that vocabulary”.
What is Shobna Gulati’s stance on dating?
Shobna Gulati has expressed an openness to dating all genders. They stated that they are exploring what this means to them personally and would be open to a relationship with anyone, regardless of their gender.
Who is Shobna Gulati’s son?
Shobna Gulati is the mother of a son, Akshay, who is 30 years old.
What is Shobna Gulati’s marital history?
Shobna Gulati was previously married to architect Anshu Srivastava. They married in 1990 and divorced four years later.
Summary of Shobna Gulati’s Key Life Highlights
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| known For | Role as Sunita Alahan in *Coronation Street* |
| Gender Identity | Non-binary (she/they pronouns) |
| Age | 58 |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Children | One son, Akshay (30 years old) |
| Current Relationship Status | In a new relationship. |