No, Shami and Reeta Chakrabarti are not related. People are confused as they have the same surname.
Shami is a British politician, human rights activist, and Labour Party member born in India on 16 June 1969. Whereas Reeta, born on 12 December 1964 in London, is a British journalist and correspondent for BBC News.
The only connection they have is that they both were born to an Indian family, who are originally from Kolkata, and both of them have similar hairstyles.
The Relation Between Shami And Reeta
There is a constant discussion on whether Shami and Reeta are related. However, they do not have any connection and are unrelated.
Both of them are strong public figures.
Shami, a barrister, completed her law degree from the London School of Economics in 1991. During the study, she assisted Leonard Leigh, who wrote a paper on the British approach to terrorism.
In 2003, she was appointed the director of Liberty, an advocacy group. As a director, she campaigned against the extreme anti-terrorism measures implemented after 9/11.
On the other hand, Reeta studies English and French at Exeter College, one of the constituent colleges of Oxford University. She began her career on BBC Radio 4 as a producer of 'The Today Programme.'
Then, in 1997 she became BBC's Community Affairs Correspondent covering the case of Stephen Lawrence, a victim of a hate crime.
Their fans are always discussing whether they are siblings or not. There have been several polls and forums where this topic has been raised.
In 2015, the BBC correspondent herself clarified that she is not connected to Shami in an exchange on Twitter with Ron Chakraborty, the lead executive of BBC Sports.
Ron had tweeted that he would like a photo with her with a sign saying we are not related. She replied, "oh dear, sorry...I get the same with Shami".
@RonChak oh dear sorry...I get the same with Shami
— Reeta Chakrabarti (@reetacbbc) February 20, 2015
Reeta Belongs To An Indian Bengali Family
Reeta Chakrabarti family is of Indian Bengali descent. They later moved to London, England.
Little is known about her parents besides that her father, Bidhan Chakrabarti, worked at a radio station, whereas her mother, Ruma Chakbrabarti, was a lecturer.
Although she was born in London and raised in Birmingham, she completed her school at Calcutta International School in Kolkata. She spent her teenage years in India.
She married Paul Hamilton, a Queen Mary University of London professor. The pair have three children, a daughter and two sons.
Her daughter Roxy Hamilton recently appeared with her in Bargain Hunt special for BBC Children in Need 2021, where they played against comedian John Thompson and his daughter.
One of her son's name is Daniel Hamilton, whereas the other son's name is unknown.
Shami Family Came To Britain As Immigrants
Shami Chakrabarti family came to Britain as immigrants. They left India during the partition period.
She credits her father and mother for influencing her interest in civil liberties. However, there is not much information about her parents.
Her father was a bookkeeper, whereas nothing is mentioned about her mother. Both her parents got their education from Roman Catholic schools in Kolkata.
She remembers her father and mother talking about how they witnessed riots between Hindus and Muslims during the partition in India.
Her strongest political memory of her childhood was when her father said,
"No criminal-justice system in the world is perfect and you have to imagine what it would be like to be the person who was unjustly convicted, marching to the scaffold and saying to God What do I do? These people don’t believe me but I know I’m not guilty and I’m about to die."
This quote by her father greatly impacted her, and she mentioned she felt quite moved at the time.
She married Martyn Hopper, an oxford-educated litigation lawyer, in 1995. The pair got divorced after 19 years of marriage in 2014.
Shami has a son who is 20 years old and attends Dulwich College, one of the prestigious colleges in London.
Reeta Sister Lolita Is An Actress
Reeta Chakrabarti sister Lolita Chakrabarti is a British actress and writer. She was born on 1 June 1969.
She completed her graduation in 1990 from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She then was a presenter for Numbertime, a BBC children's educational program.
Her debut role was in 1992 in 'A Masculine Ending' where she played the role of Sue. Her other screen credits include 'Vigil,' 'The Wheel of Time,' 'The Bill,' and 'Born To Kill.'
Further, she has been involved in theatres as well. Her most famous role is Gertrude in Hamlet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare where she starred alongside Tom Hiddleston.
In addition to acting, she has been involved in writing. Her most recent work is the 2021 movie 'Hymn.'
The actress has also written a play named 'Red Velvet' which is based on Ira Aldrige, an African-American actor. Her other work includes the play 'Life of Pi,' for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play.
On 31 August 1997, she married actor Adrian Lester, whom she met during graduation. The couple is happily married and has two daughters.
Later, in 2010 she opened the production company, Lesata Productions along with Rosa Maggiora. A year after, they produced a short film 'Of Mary,' which won the Best Short Film Award at the Pan African Film Festival.
