Inside EastEnders’ Nish Panesar star’s life from famous family to forgotten TV roles
Navin Chowdhry has been a part of Albert Square since September 2022, when he made his debut as EastEnders villain Nish Panesar
Navin Chowdhry has been making waves in EastEnders since his character Nish Panesar made his debut on the show in September 2022. As we ring in the New Year, Nish is poised to cause chaos in Walford as he remains at large after breaking out of prison.
The 53-year-old actor stepped into Albert Square as the nefarious Nish, husband to Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), fresh from a stint in prison for murder, and quickly established himself as a formidable villain.
However, away from the BBC One soap, Navin has been gracing our television 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 the BBC One soap.
Born on 1 January 1971, Navin, now 53, hails from Bristol and is the son of renowned female activist Simi Chowdhry.
EastEnders star Navin Chowdhry arrived on the BBC One soap in 2022 (
His acting career kicked off 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 and has since added a plethora of shows to his acting portfolio, reports the Manchester Evening News.
In addition to his acting pursuits, Navin was urged to prioritise his education. In 1994, he graduated from Imperial College London with a 2:1 degree in biochemistry, successfully juggling his three-year course with multiple TV roles.
Navin’s acting career truly soared in 2001 when he bagged the role of IT teacher Kurt McKenna in the comedy series Teachers, and Ralph in Channel 4’s Ny-Lon in 2004. He also made his mark in the popular 2003 series Waking The Dead, portraying Rainman, and appeared in Doctor Who as Indra Ganesh, as well as playing PC Sanjay Singh in Dalziel and Pascoe.
His acting credits extend to shows like 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 as a cargo pilot in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi in 2017.
In 2022, Navin scored the role of Nish Panesar on EastEnders and has been at the heart of all the drama since. He attempted to murder Eve Unwin ( Heather Peace ), sold the cafe to Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) for £1, and even plotted to kill his own son Vinny (Shiv Jalota).
Earlier this year, Nish revealed he was dying after being diagnosed with a virus causing his heart to fail, which would ultimately lead to his death. Due to his terminal illness, Nish took the fall for the murder of Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) under the condition 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 saga will continue to unravel over New Year in EastEnders.
Close to his heart and fondly known as Nav in family circles, Navin shares his ancestry with some notable figures including his cousin, the celebrated comedian Paul Chowdhry.
Nish is set to cause chaos in EastEnders this New Year ( Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
His marriage to Charlie spans over a dozen years, and together they’re raising two sons. Navin has openly shared the narrative of Charlie’s valiant battle against breast cancer, which was first diagnosed in the summer of 2020.
In an Instagram update in February 2023, Navin, a devoted husband, expressed his solidarity with Charlie during a challenging time, as he conveyed heartfelt words from his wife’s hospital room amidst her surgery.
He divulged: “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.”
Furthermore, Navin acknowledged: “It just hits home, the bravery courage and soul, and spirit of all you cancer warriors out there.”
While Navin’s exact wealth isn’t verified, his profile on allfamousbirthday.com estimates his net worth to be in the vicinity of £1.3 million.
