Neighbours continues to address criticisms that everyone on Ramsay St is white, announcing plans to introduce a family of Indian and Sri Lankan heritage to the long-running soap.
The Kapoors consist of dad and Erinsborough councillor Ajay (Sachin Joab), who's been a regular on the soap since mid-2011, and mum Priya (Menik Gooneratne), who became Erinsborough High's "no-nonsense" principal in September.
They'll be joined by their daughter Rani (newcomer Coco-Jacinta Cherin), who'll be introduced to the rest of the Neighbours gang in February.
"I'm delighted by how the Kapoors have been introduced," said Neighbours boss Susan Bower, who will soon exit the series. "Viewers already know them because of their role in the community and link with other characters, and their cultural background is secondary.
"We have had many individual characters who have been representative of Australia's diverse cultural landscape, however to have a family of Indian and Sri Lankan heritage join the neighbourhood is very exciting."
Neighbours and fellow Aussie soap Home and Away have long been (rightly) criticised for their lack of ethnic diversity — particularly in 2008, when a British report blasted the shows for being "too white".
Aside from Jade — played by actress Gemma Pranita, who was born in Thailand to a Thai dad and an English mum and later relocated to Australia — the current Neighbours line-up is very Eurocentric. Hopefully the addition of the Kapoors will go some way to evening out the ethnic balance on the show.
