Shobu Kapoor

Shobu Kapoor
Born
Shobu Kapoor

India
Other namesShoboo Kapoor
Alma mater
OccupationActress
Years active1991–present
Spouse
Ian A. McAuley
​
​
(m. 1988; div. 1995)​

Shobu Kapoor is an Indian British actress. She is most notable for playing the role of Gita Kapoor, the long-suffering wife of market trader Sanjay (Deepak Verma), in the BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1993 to 1998.[1]

Early life

Shobu Kapoor was born in India. She attended the University of Mumbai, where she earned her Master of Arts in Literature in 1986. She immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1988. Kapoor trained at Drama Studio London.[2]

Career

After leaving Eastenders, Kapoor appeared in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham[3] and the TV series The Bill (2004). She has also been in Chicken Tikka Masala (2005), Casualty (2005) and Doctors, where she appeared as five characters between 2000 and 2006.

In 2006, she appeared in the BBC drama Banglatown Banquet and the Irish RTÉ soap Fair City (as Talayeh Kirmani). In 2007, she played the minor role of Umi in the Channel 4 drama Shameless. In 2008, she appeared in "Journey's End", the series four finale of Doctor Who, where her character perished at the hands of the Daleks.

Other film roles include Taj's mother in Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj (2006)[4] and Mrs Khan in Mischief Night (2006). She portrayed the mother of Meredith Kercher in the TV film Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy (2011).

Kapoor played the roles of Shazia Malik in the BBC Asian Network radio soap Silver Street and Razia Khan in the BBC sitcom Citizen Khan.[5]

In 2013, she co-founded the independent film and television company, Roman Candle Productions, with Annetta Laufer. She worked there, producing short films until she left in 2016.[2]

In 2015, she made a guest appearance in the CBBC show Hank Zipzer. That year, Kapoor was announced as part of the cast of Anthony Horowitz's play Dinner with Saddam on the West End.[6]

In 2020, Kapoor appeared in The Other One as Mishti.

In 2021, she appeared in Casualty playing Mona Nadkarni, a 'friend' of Dr Rashid Masum's family, who was brought into the emergency department by Rash's father.[7] She made an appearance in Greg Davies' BBC comedy The Cleaner the same year.[8]

In 2022, she appeared as Lady Sheffield in the second season of Netflix's historical fiction-romance show Bridgerton. Kapoor joined the cast of the 2022 television film adaption of David Walliams' childrens book Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! [9]

She appeared as Fatima Khan in Nida Manzoor's action comedy film Polite Society (2023).[10]

Filmography

Film

Year TItle Role Notes
2000 Room to Rent Home Office Official
2002 Bend It Like Beckham Polly
2005 Chicken Tikka Masala Minaxi Patel
2006 Mischief Night Mrs Khan
Van Wilder: The Rise of Taj Taj's Mother
2008 Filth and Wisdom Sardeep's Wife
2010 The Infidel Kashmina
2012 Acts of Godfrey Gita
2014 Some Things Miss Stewart Short film
2015 Shoot Me. Kiss Me. Cut! Mother
2018 Boogie Man Anandi
Lady Parts Seema Short film
2020 Home for Aged Time Travelers Dr. Ritisha
2022 The Reach Shobu Short film
Two Minutes
The Warning Signs Shobu
Mother Teresa & Me Aparna, Kavita's Mother
2023 Polite Society Fatima
Tall Dark and Handsome Rohini Short film
Running on Empty Seema Khan
TBA Human 2.0 Laxshmi Parry Short film ; In Production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1991 Family Pride Nasreen
1993 Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time Gita Kapoor Miniseries; 2 episodes
1993-1998 EastEnders Main role; 346 episodes
2000-2016 Doctors Dr. Shareen Sing / Anita Shah / Mrs Khan / Tasneem Malik 5 episodes
2004 Nevermind Nirvana Dr. Sarita Mehta TV movie
The Bill Mrs. Miah Episode: "The Cautious Approach"
2005-2023 Casualty Namjeev Singh / Hasina Hussein / Chanda Perry / Mona Nadkarni 6 episodes
2006 Banglatown Banquet Joolie TV movie
Fair City Talayeh Kirmani 3 episodes
2007 Shameless Umi Episode: "Revelations"
2008 Doctor Who Scared Woman Episode: "Journey's End"
2010 Holby City Mrs. Chiddy Episode: "Snow Queens"
2011 Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy Arlene Kercher TV movie
The Jury Rashid's Mother 5 episodes
2012 Silent Witness Raani Amar Episode: "Death Has No Dominion: Part 2"
2012-2016 Citizen Khan Mrs Khan Main role; 33 episodes
2015 Hank Zipzer Mrs. Chopra 2 episodes
2016 Children in Need: Fantastic Beasts Special Mrs Khan TV short
2017 Loaded Harvinder Jindal Episode: "Watto's Mum"
Comedy Playhouse Rita Episode: "Mister Winner"
The Boy with the Topknot Aunt Jugi TV movie
2018 Joe All Alone Social Worker Episode: "Escape"
The Split Annie Butler 2 episodes
Unforgotten Usha 3 episodes
2018-2019 Krypton Mama Zed 2 episodes
2019 Cleaning Up Barsha 2 episodes
Four Weddings and a Funeral Nani Miniseries; 4 episodes
2020 The Other One Mishti Episode: "#1.6"
I Hate Suzie Dr. Wack Episode: "Bargaining"
The Dark Tower Rhea of the Coos TV movie
2021 We Are Lady Parts Seema 5 episodes
The Cleaner Neeta Episode: "The Widow"
2022 A Discovery of Witches Linda Crosby 3 episodes
Bridgerton Lady Sheffield Episode: "An Unthinkable Fate"
DI Ray Debo Ray 2 episodes
Whitstable Pearl Hiral Episode: "To Those We Love"
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! Esha TV movie
2023 Three Little Birds Miss Biswas 4 episodes

On stage

Year Title Role Director Venue Ref.
2015 Dinner with Saddam Samira Anthony Horowitz Menier Chocolate Factory [11]

Audio dramas

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2017 Doctor Who: The Monthly Adventures Sai Chopra Episode: "Vortex Ice / Cortex Fire" [12]
2022 Torchwood: Monthly Range Priya Episode: "Sonny" [13]

Radio dramas

Year Title Role Station Notes Ref.
Silver Street Shazia Malik BBC Asian Network [14]
2014 Karma Sanjana BBC Radio 4 [15]
2017 No Smoke Parmindar BBC Radio 4 [16]

Filmmaking

As producer

Year Title Notes Ref.
2016 Scarlet [17]
2016 Afro Punk Girl [18]
2021 The Markfield Monster Executive producer [19]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2016 Asian Women of Achievement Awards Arts & Culture — Nominated [20]

References

  1. ^ "Ex-EastEnders Star Slams Asian Portrayal". RTÉ. 21 July 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Shobu Kapoor". Migration Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Shobu Kapoor – Acting Coach".
  4. ^ "Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj". San Francisco Chronicle. 28 November 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  5. ^ Devi, Sharmila (31 August 2012). "Citizen Khan sitcom stokes controversy among British Muslims". The National. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Steven Berkoff & Shobu Kapoor Set for DINNER WITH SADDAM at Menier Chocolate Factory". Broadway World. 7 August 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  7. ^ Haasler, Sue (7 January 2023). "Rash devastated in Casualty as his dad shows signs of dementia". Metro. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  8. ^ Richards, Will (19 February 2021). "Helena Bonham Carter and David Mitchell to star in Greg Davies' new comedy 'The Cleaner'". NME. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  10. ^ "'Polite Society' review: Film on British-Pakistani lives marries Jane Austen with kung-fu flare". The New Indian Express. Associated Press. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  11. ^ Billington, Michael (22 September 2015). "Dinner With Saddam review – can dictators be funny?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  12. ^ "225. Doctor Who: Vortex Ice / Cortex Fire - Doctor Who - The Monthly Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  13. ^ "59. Torchwood: Sonny - Torchwood - Monthly Range - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  14. ^ BBC. "BBC - Asian Network - Silver Street The Residents". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  15. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Karma". BBC. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  16. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - No Smoke". BBC. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  17. ^ Scarlet, Awards, Roman Candle Productions, 30 January 2016, retrieved 7 March 2024
  18. ^ "British Council Film: Afro Punk Girl". film-directory.britishcouncil.org. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  19. ^ "The Markfield Monster". Festival Formula. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  20. ^ "2016". Asian Women of Achievement Awards. Retrieved 7 March 2024.