EastEnders’ Nish Panesar actor Navin Chowdhry has had a successful acting career spanning decades, taking on a number of iconic roles on popular TV shows
Navin Chowdhry has been making waves in EastEnders since his character, Nish Panesar, debuted on the show in September 2022. As we usher in the New Year, Nish is set to cause chaos in Walford as he remains at large after breaking out of prison.
The 53-year-old actor entered Albert Square as the villainous Nish, husband to Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), fresh from a prison stint for murder. He quickly established himself as a formidable antagonist.
However, away from the BBC One soap, Navin has been gracing our screens since his teenage years, with roles in popular shows such as Teachers, Doctor Who, and London’s Burning, so let’s delve into Navin’s life beyond EastEnders.
Born on 1 January 1971, Navin hails from Bristol, England. He is the son of renowned female activist Simi Chowdhry. His acting journey began in 1988 when he portrayed Manek Sen in Madam Sousatzka, sharing the screen with Shirley MacLaine and Peggy Ashcroft.
In 1993, he featured in the ITV drama London’s Burning as Rasheed, marking the start of a long string of television appearances, reports the Manchester Evening News. In addition to his acting career, Navin was urged to prioritise his education. He graduated from Imperial College London in 1994 with a 2:1 degree in biochemistry, successfully juggling his three-year course with numerous TV roles.
Navin’s acting career began to soar in 2001 when he secured the role of IT teacher Kurt McKenna in the comedy series Teachers, and later as Ralph in Channel 4’s Ny-Lon in 2004. He also made an appearance in the popular 2003 series Waking The Dead, playing the character Rainman, and featured in Doctor Who as Indra Ganesh. He also portrayed PC Sanjay Singh in Dalziel and Pascoe.
His acting credits extend to shows such as Judge John Deed, A Touch of Cloth, New Tricks, Midsomer Murders, Doctor Foster, Our Girl, Death in Paradise, and McDonald and Dodds. Navin even had a stint in the Star Wars universe, playing a cargo pilot in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi in 2017.
In 2022, Navin joined the cast of EastEnders as Nish Panesar and has been at the heart of the drama ever since. His character has attempted to murder Eve Unwin (Heather Peace), sold the café to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) for a mere £1, and even plotted against his own son Vinny (Shiv Jalota).
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Nish was terminally ill with a virus causing heart failure. In light of his diagnosis, Nish confessed to the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters), hoping that Suki would spend his final days with him.
However, upon discovering Suki’s plans to marry Eve, Nish escaped from prison and is now hiding nearby. The villain’s dramatic storyline is set to unravel over the New Year in EastEnders.
Warmly dubbed Nav by his nearest and dearest, Navin boasts some celeb kin, including his cousin Paul Chowdhry who is a comedian.
He’s been married to his wife Charlie for a solid 12 years, and they share two sons. Navin’s been open about Charlie’s brave battle with breast cancer following her diagnosis in the summer of 2020. During an Instagram post shared in February 2023, doting husband Navin showed some support for his wife as he spoke from his wife’s hospital room as she was undergoing surgery.
He explained: “My wife was diagnosed with triple-positive breast cancer back in the summer of 2020 and like so many of you out there it just opens a world that you hope you never see.”
Navin also added: “It just hits home, the bravery courage and soul, and spirit of all you cancer warriors out there.”
Navin’s net worth is unconfirmed, though his page on allfamousbirthday.com puts it at around the £1.3 million mark.
EastEnders airs Monday – Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and iPlayer
