Sophie Khan Levy, who portrays Priya in EastEnders, is the daughter of a film star off-screen.
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Sophie Khan Levy first appeared in EastEnders in October 2023, and despite only joining the soap then, her character Priya Nandra-Hart has quickly become a hit with fans. Outside of the BBC series, viewers may be surprised to learn that the actress is the daughter of a famous performer.
Priya arrived in Walford with a major revelation — she is the estranged mother of Davinder ‘Nugget’ Gulati, played by Juhaim Rasul Choudhury. She also dropped another shock on her former partner Ravi, portrayed by Aaron Thiara, telling him they share a teenage daughter, Avani, played by Aaliyah James.
Ravi, a drug dealer, was stunned to discover he had a daughter he never knew about, but he soon promised to take responsibility and be there for both of his children. Not long after, Priya and Avani moved to Albert Square to live alongside the Panesar family, where they quickly began causing a stir among the locals.
Priya and Ravi have since reunited romantically and are now living under one roof with their two teenage children.
However, their family life is far from stable. Ravi’s criminal dealings continue to put them at risk, especially after he became a police informant, placing all of their lives in danger, according to OK!.
Before securing the part of Priya in EastEnders, Sophie Khan Levy had already built up an impressive list of TV credits. The 36-year-old actress portrayed Gabrielle Ade in the BBC’s 2023 true crime drama The Sixth Commandment.
In addition, she played Florence Pandhi in the 2022 veterinary series All Creatures Great and Small.
Who is Sophie Khan Levy’s famous mother?
Since her arrival on EastEnders, viewers have been surprised to learn that Sophie’s mother is actress Shaheen Khan, best known for her key role in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham.
In the film, Mrs Bhamra is devoted to tradition, supporting her eldest daughter Pinky (Archie Panjabi) as she prepares for her Indian wedding, while also encouraging her younger daughter Jess (Parminder Nagra) to follow a similar, more traditional path.
But marriage couldn’t have been further from Jess’s thoughts, as she was focused on football and dreamed of achieving fame like her hero David Beckham, who even makes a brief cameo at the end of the movie.
Shaheen has also enjoyed a successful television career. In the late 1980s, she portrayed Kiran Joghill in the BBC medical drama Casualty and has since appeared in a range of BBC programmes, including Doctors, DI Ray, Endeavour, Doctor Who, Spooks and The Bill, among others.
In 2024, Sophie shared a touching tribute to her mother on Instagram. One photo featured Shaheen’s cast image from her time on Casualty placed next to Sophie’s own cast card as Priya in EastEnders.
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Another snap shows the well-known mother and daughter posing in sunglasses, while a separate video captures them spending quality time together in the kitchen during a cooking session.
Fans were stunned when Sophie disclosed that her mum is actress Shaheen Khan. One follower exclaimed: “No fudging wayyy!!” while another wrote: “No way she’s your mum wow x.” A third commented: “Oh WOW, I had no idea this total legend was your mother. Amazing.”
One admirer added: “Omg did not realise she was your mum! What a great actress!” as someone else echoed the shock, saying: “Omg I just realised who your mum is. ‘Football, shootball!’”
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