Shobu Kapoor (born May 1961) is a 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.
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.
Career After leaving Eastenders, Kapoor appeared in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham 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) 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.
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.
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.
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. She made an appearance in Greg Davies' BBC comedy The Cleaner the same year.
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' children's book Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! She has also featured in Gangsta Granny, the prequel got popular so she reprised her role in the sequel.
She appeared as Fatima Khan in Nida Manzoor's action comedy film Polite Society (2023).
Filmography
Film YearTItleRoleNotes2000Room to RentHome Office Official2002Bend It Like BeckhamPolly2005Chicken Tikka MasalaMinaxi Patel2006Mischief NightMrs KhanVan Wilder: The Rise of TajTaj's Mother2008Filth and WisdomSardeep's Wife2010The InfidelKashmina2012Acts of GodfreyGita2014Some ThingsMiss StewartShort film2015Shoot Me. Kiss Me. Cut!Mother2018Boogie ManAnandiLady PartsSeemaShort film2020Home for Aged Time TravelersDr. Ritisha2022The ReachShobuShort filmTwo MinutesThe Warning SignsShobuMother Teresa & MeAparna, Kavita's Mother2023Polite SocietyFatimaTall Dark and HandsomeRohiniShort filmRunning on EmptySeema KhanTBAHuman 2.0Laxshmi ParryShort film ; In Production
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1991Family PrideNasreen1993Doctor Who: Dimensions in TimeGita KapoorMiniseries; 2 episodes1993-1998, 2026-EastEndersMain role; 346 episodes2000-2016DoctorsDr. Shareen Sing / Anita Shah / Mrs Khan / Tasneem Malik5 episodes2004Nevermind NirvanaDr. Sarita MehtaTV movieThe BillMrs. MiahEpisode: "The Cautious Approach"2005-2023CasualtyNamjeev Singh / Hasina Hussein / Chanda Perry / Mona Nadkarni6 episodes2006Banglatown BanquetJoolieTV movieFair CityTalayeh Kirmani3 episodes2007ShamelessUmiEpisode: "Revelations"2008Doctor WhoScared WomanEpisode: "Journey's End"2010Holby CityMrs. ChiddyEpisode: "Snow Queens"2011Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in ItalyArlene KercherTV movieThe JuryRashid's Mother5 episodes2012Silent WitnessRaani AmarEpisode: "Death Has No Dominion: Part 2"2012-2016Citizen KhanMrs KhanMain role; 33 episodes2015Hank ZipzerMrs. Chopra2 episodes2016Children in Need: Fantastic Beasts SpecialMrs KhanTV short2017LoadedHarvinder JindalEpisode: "Watto's Mum"Comedy PlayhouseRitaEpisode: "Mister Winner"The Boy with the TopknotAunt JugiTV movie2018Joe All AloneSocial WorkerEpisode: "Escape"The SplitAnnie Butler2 episodesUnforgottenUsha3 episodes2018-2019KryptonMama Zed2 episodes2019Cleaning UpBarsha2 episodesFour Weddings and a FuneralNaniMiniseries; 4 episodes2020The Other OneMishtiEpisode: "#1.6"I Hate SuzieDr. WackEpisode: "Bargaining"The Dark TowerRhea of the CoosTV movie2021We Are Lady PartsSeema5 episodesThe CleanerNeeta Episode: "The Widow"2022A Discovery of WitchesLinda Crosby3 episodesBridgertonLady SheffieldEpisode: "An Unthinkable Fate"DI RayDebo Ray2 episodesWhitstable PearlHiralEpisode: "To Those We Love"Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!EshaTV movie2023Three Little BirdsMiss Biswas4 episodes
On stage YearTitleRoleDirectorVenueRef.2015Dinner with SaddamSamiraAnthony HorowitzMenier Chocolate Factory
Audio dramas YearTitleRoleNotesRef.2017Doctor Who: The Monthly AdventuresSai ChopraEpisode: "Vortex Ice / Cortex Fire"2022Torchwood: Monthly RangePriyaEpisode: "Sonny"
Radio dramas YearTitleRoleStationNotesRef.Silver StreetShazia MalikBBC Asian Network2014KarmaSanjanaBBC Radio 42017No SmokeParmindarBBC Radio 4
Filmmaking
As producer YearTitleNotesRef.2016Scarlet2016Afro Punk Girl2021The Markfield MonsterExecutive producer
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.2016Asian Women of Achievement AwardsArts & Culture
References
External links