Nitin Ganatra

2021-06-08T22:20:32Z

2A02:C7D:EC4A:CD00:7845:FDD:D764:CA3F:

{{short description|British actor}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|02|21|df=yes}}
| name =
| image = Nitin Ganatra.jpg
| caption = Ganatra at the 2011 British Soap Awards.
| birth_place = [[Kenya]]
| occupation = Actor
| television = ''[[EastEnders]]'' <br>''[[Mumbai Calling]]'' <br> ''[[The Worst Witch]]''
| spouse = {{marriage|Meera Ganatra|2004}}
| children = 2
}}
'''Nitin Chandra Ganatra''' (born 21 February 1968)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10182-343896/nitin-ganatra-in-biographical-summaries-of-notable-people|title=Nitin Ganatra - Biographical Summaries of Notable People - MyHeritage|website=www.myheritage.com|access-date=2018-04-27}}</ref> is a Kenyan-born British-Indian actor. He is known for playing [[Masood Ahmed]] in the [[BBC One|BBC]] soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]''.

==Early and personal life==
Ganatra was born in [[Kenya]] in 1968. Both sides of Ganatra's family have origins in [[Gujarat]], India which were explored on-screen in the 2013 series of ''[[Who Do You Think You Are? (UK TV series)|Who Do You Think You Are?]]''<ref name="wdutyr">{{cite web|access-date=2014-01-18|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b039tygt|title=BBC One - Who Do You Think You Are?, Series 10, Nitin Ganatra}}</ref> His great-grandfather arrived in Kenya in the late 1890s, as one of 32,000 contracted labourers to build the [[Uganda Railway]].<ref name=WDYTYR/> One of under 10,000 to stay in the country after the railway's completion, his grandfather and his father later joined the family's general trading business.<ref name=WDYTYR/>

After Kenya gained independence from the United Kingdom and forced the native Indian population to choose between Kenya and their British passports in 1971, Ganatra, aged 3, moved with his family to [[Coventry]], where the family still own a [[corner shop]].<ref name=WDYTYR>{{cite web|url=http://www.radiotimes.com/episode/cm8rgj/who-do-you-think-you-are--series-10---7-nitin-ganatra|title=Who Do You Think You Are? - what time is it on TV? Episode 7 Series 10 cast list and preview.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/eastenders-stars-grandmother-married-age-5782917|title=Eastenders star's grandmother was married at the age of six|first=Roz|last=Laws|date=25 August 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/wdytya2013_ganatra.php|title=Featured Articles: TheGenealogist}}</ref>

Ganatra was educated at [[Coundon Court School|Coundon Court School and Community College]] on Northbrook Road and then studied Drama, Film and TV at the [[University of Bristol]]. He went on to train under the tutelage of the late Master theatre practitioner [[Jerzy Grotowski]].

On 17 July 2004, Ganatra married his wife, Meera.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegenealogist.co.uk/featuredarticles/2013/who-do-you-think-you-are/nitin-ganatra-4/|title=Nitin Ganatra - Who Do You Think You Are - His ancestors overcame a number of hardships in life.|website=www.thegenealogist.co.uk|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> They have two children and live in North London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-sanjeev-bhaskar-nitin-ganatra-1717617.html|title=How We Met: Sanjeev Bhaskar & Nitin Ganatra|date=2009-06-28|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref>

In April 2019 he was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement in Television award at [[The Asian Awards]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://theasianawards.com/winners_9th_awards.html |website=The Asian Awards |access-date=4 September 2019}}</ref>

==Career==
Ganatra is known internationally as Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton film ''[[Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)|Charlie and the Chocolate Factory]]''. He also appears in the Gurinder Chada film ''[[Bride and Prejudice]]'' as Kholi Saab and ''[[The Mistress of Spices (film)|The Mistress of Spices]]'' as Haroun, and Dev Raja in ''[[Mumbai Calling]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=World|first=Republic|title=Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's 'The Mistress of Spices' and other movies by Paul Mayeda Berges|url=https://www.republicworld.com/entertainment-news/bollywood-news/aishwarya-rai-bachchans-the-mistress-of-spices-by-paul-mayeda-berges.html|access-date=2020-12-07|website=Republic World}}</ref> He also appeared in the first ever iPod commercial. Ganatra also appeared in an episode of ''[[The Catherine Tate Show]]'', as Joanie Taylor's daughter's partner.

Other appearances include the TV show ''[[Jane Hall (TV series)|Jane Hall]]'', the Patents Clerk in Philip Pullman's The Shadow in the North, the [[CBBC]] television show ''Gina's Laughing Gear'', a character in ''[[Meet the Magoons]]'' playing himself, a semi lead role as Rez, brother of main character Shifty, in the 2008 British cult film ''Shifty'' about a Muslim crack-cocaine dealer, and Martin Soper in ''[[Twenty Twelve (TV series)|Twenty Twelve]]''. He also appeared in ''Being April,'' playing the role of Sinil.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2002/06_june/17/being_april.pdf|title=Being April – BBC|access-date=30 January 2019}}</ref>

On 15 October 2014, Ganatra appeared in an episode of ''[[Celebrity Squares]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itv.com/presscentre/ep6week42/celebrity-squares|title=Celebrity Squares Episode 6}}</ref>'' On 25 March 2015, he featured in a comedy interview alongside comedian [[Paul Chowdhry]] in which he pretended to lose his temper and "attacked" Chowdhry. His appearance on ''[[Pointless Celebrities]]'', in which he had to have the rules explained to him by the host, was included in a 2020 special called ''Pointless: The Good, the Bad and the Bloopers''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/hsw8q2/pointless--pointless-the-good-the-bad--the-bloopers/|title=Pointless: The Good, the Bad & the Bloopers|author=Jane Rackham|website=Radio Times|access-date=9 May 2020}}</ref>

It was announced in May 2017 that Ganatra would appear in comedy feature ''[[Eaten by Lions (film)|Eaten by Lions]],'' alongside [[Antonio Aakeel]] and [[Jack Carroll (comedian)|Jack Carroll]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Filming underway on British comedy Eaten by Lions|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/film/news/2557/eaten_by_lions_film/|website=British Comedy Guide|access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref> He also appeared in the [[Channel 4]] drama [[The State (2017 TV series)|''The State'']], portraying the father of a young British Muslim who went to join [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ok.co.uk/celebrity-feature/1432575/nitin-ganatra-end-of-the-pier-show-eastenders-meera-thakrar-wife-family|title=Nitin Ganatra End of the Pier show: Everything you need to know about the actor – from age, family life and Hollywood acting career|last=Knight|first=Kathryn|date=2018-08-02|website=OK! Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> In 2020, he played spell science teacher Mr. Daisy in the CBBC series ''[[The Worst Witch]]''.
Trial and Retribution as lawyer. Episode, "The Box" part 2

===''EastEnders''===
Since 16 October 2007, Ganatra has played regular character [[Masood Ahmed]] in the [[BBC]] soap opera ''[[EastEnders]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/VNgGGVkXj0VXTDy7QbW7nD/masood-ahmed|title=BBC One - EastEnders - Masood Ahmed|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> He also appeared in the 2010 spin-off series ''[[EastEnders: E20]]''. Ganatra left ''EastEnders'' in 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2016-09-02/eastenders-star-nitin-ganatra-to-leave-masood-ahmed-role/amp/|title=EastEnders star Nitin Ganatra to leave Masood Ahmed role|website=Radio Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref> He made a one-off appearance on 28 November 2017, and returned permanently on 1 January 2018. On 26 January 2019, it was announced Ganatra had decided to leave his role as Masood, and would leave the show later in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-01-28/eastenders-exit-for-masood-as-nitin-ganatra-confirms-departure/amp/|title=EastEnders exit for Masood as Nitin Ganatra confirms departure|website=Radio Times|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref>

Ganatra won 'Best Onscreen Partnership' with [[Nina Wadia]] at the [[British Soap Awards]] in 2009, and was later nominated for 'Best Actor' at the British Soap Awards in 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/british-soap-awards-common-sense-393381|title=British Soap Awards: Common sense prevails as Danielle death storyline protest fail to undermine EastEnders success|last=Simon|first=Jane|date=2009-05-11|website=mirror|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p018cgz4/p018cjpk|title=Nitin Ganatra - Nominated for Best Soap Actor - The TVChoice Awards 2013 - EastEnders - BBC One|website=BBC|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-01-30}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|id=0304092}}
*{{Twitter}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ganatra, Nitin}}
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century British male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century British male actors]]
[[Category:Actors from Coventry]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol]]
[[Category:British male actors of Indian descent]]
[[Category:British male actors of South Asian descent]]
[[Category:British male film actors]]
[[Category:British male television actors]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Kenyan emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Kenyan people of Indian descent]]

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Nitin Ganatra