EastEnders Priya star has famous mum who inspired her to follow in acting footsteps
It’s clear that talent runs in EastEnders star Sophie Khan Levy’s family, as her real-life mum is also an accomplished actor
EastEnders Priya star has famous actress mum who ‘paved the way for so many people’(Image: BBC)
Sophie Khan Levy has played Priya Nandra-Hart on EastEnders for several years – but it turns out she’s not the only famous person in her family.
The actress joined the ITV soap in 2023 as Priya – and it didn’t take her long to become a firm favourite. She has also found herself involved in a ton of big storylines during her stint, reports the Mirror.
From her complicated relationships within the Panesar family to her son’s steroid use, her time in Walford has not been short of drama. This week, she found out she was pregnant, amid her affair with Max Branning (Jake Wood).
However, it’s clear that talent runs in Priya actress Sophie’s family, as her real-life mum is also an accomplished actor.
Sophie joined EastEnders in 2023(Image: BBC)
Her mother is Shaheen Khan, famed for her role as Mrs Bhamra in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham. In the movie, Mrs Bhamra upholds tradition, helping her eldest daughter, Pinky (Archie Panjabi), with her Indian wedding preparations while simultaneously trying to steer her younger daughter, Jess (Parminder Nagra), down the same path.
She was more interested in playing football and achieving fame like her idol, David Beckham, who makes a cameo at the end of the film.
Shaheen also portrayed Kiran Joghill in BBC’s medical soap drama Casualty in the late ’80s, and has appeared in shows such as BBC’s Doctors and Doctor Who.
Her mum is also an actress
Meanwhile talking to Grazia Pakistan, Sophie revealed the news about her mum who inspired her to become an actor. She shared: “Mum paved the way not just for me but for so many South Asian actors who watched her and thought ‘if she can, maybe I can too’.
“I think it’s important to acknowledge the history we have as a South Asian community in the performance space. Often I hear ‘this is the first time we’ve seen this or that’, we can’t galvanise our community if we don’t acknowledge our legacy and history. In the end, storytelling is a universal and ancient way to pass on exactly that.
Her mum inspired her to get into acting(Image: Instagram)
“Mum brought her talents into our home and made our childhood full of play! Encouraging us to imagine, to create and to dream big.”
Social media was previously been buzzing with reactions to Sophie’s mum. One TikTok user exclaimed, “Omg, I didn’t know the Bend It Like Beckham mum was her mum!”
Another fan shared, “I love that film, and she’s so good as Priya.” The connection has even sparked conversations in households, with one viewer admitting, “I ran to tell everyone in my house they’re mother and daughter in real life!”
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One.