EastEnders enthusiasts were taken aback upon discovering that Sophie Khan Levy, who portrays Priya Nandra-Hart, is the daughter of a highly renowned actress. Sophie's character, Priya, arrived in Walford last year with her daughter Avani (played by Aaliyah James), as Ravi's (Aaron Thiara) former girlfriend and unknown child, leaving Ravi and the entire Panesar family in shock. Priya and Avani quickly became central to numerous dramatic storylines, from family disputes within the Panesar clan to Priya's own romantic complications.
This week on the soap, Priya was seen supporting Avani after their grandfather Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) came close to death due to his terminal illness. However, Sophie Khan Levy's acting career extends beyond EastEnders . In 2023, she took on the role of Gabrielle Ade in the chilling BBC drama based on 'true' events, The Sixth Commandment.
She also appeared in the veterinary drama All Creatures Great and Small in 2022, and in James Corden's Amazon Prime series Mammals as Beth. Fans have recently discovered that Sophie has a famous family connection. Her mother is Shaheen Khan, best known for her role as Mrs Bhamra in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, reports The Mirror.
Shaheen also portrayed Kiran Joghill in the BBC 's medical soap Casualty in the late '80s, and has had roles in other popular BBC shows such as Doctors and Doctor Who. Fans were left gobsmacked upon discovering that Shaheen is Sophie's real-life mother, with a TikTok user excl.