Belinda Chandra

Belinda Chandra is a fictional character in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, portrayed by Varada Sethu. The character was created by Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies. In the show's fifteenth series, Belinda serves as the companion to the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa), an incarnation of the alien time traveller known as the Doctor. Debuting in the 2025 episode "The Robot Revolution", Belinda is initially kidnapped by robots from another planet, and after the Doctor saves her, the pair find they cannot return to her home time period on Earth. She travels with the Doctor to use a device called the Vindicator in order to return home. She eventually returns home but is trapped within a heteronormative alternate reality created by the Doctor's enemy The Rani, in which Belinda has had a daughter named Poppy with the Doctor. After Poppy is removed from the timeline alongside the reality, the Doctor restores Poppy to the timeline as Belinda's daughter, and she remains on Earth to care for her.

Sethu had previously portrayed the character Mundy Flynn in the 2024 episode "Boom". Davies was impressed with Sethu's performance and after discussion with the production team, she was offered the role of Belinda without needing to audition. Unlike other companions in the series, Belinda was portrayed as someone who did not want to partake in the Doctor's adventures and wishes to return home, providing friction between the two characters.

Belinda received a positive response for her appearance in her debut episode, "The Robot Revolution", with many critics positively highlighting her unique dynamic with the Doctor. The conclusion of her arc and her role in the season finale, "The Reality War", was criticised by critics, with many feeling that Belinda was "wasted" as a character.