Ravi Gulati is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders and is portrayed by Aaron Thiara. Ravi made his first appearance in episode 6515, originally broadcast on 4 July 2022. Ravi was introduced as a fellow prisoner of established character Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and a former associate of Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Deol), though later revealed as the illegitimate son of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry); however, viewers did not originally know this, as there was no announcement prior to the plot twist. In August 2026, it was announced that Thiara had quit the soap after four years, with Ravi departing the soap later in the year.
Since the character's first appearance, Ravi has been involved in with some of the serial's key storylines including being in multiple feuds, reuniting with his estranged son Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) and discovering another child, Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James), murdering his adoptive father, Ranveer Gulati (Anil Goutam), and allowing stepmother Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) to believe that she killed him. Later, he seduces a married Denise Fox (Diane Parish), which saw viewers having the opportunity to vote for either Ravi or Jack to be Denise's lover in the "EastEnders 40th Anniversary Week" – they ultimately voted for Jack. Further plots have seen Ravi recruited by Nish to kidnap Eve Unwin (Heather Peace), learning Nish has a terminal illness and later killing him following a final confrontation where Nish attempts to murder Suki and Eve, turning back to crime after he is defrauded by Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris), rekindling his relationship with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), embarking on a cuckooing plot against Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) and Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) after they lose his drugs, becoming a police informant to evade prosecution, accidentally assaulting Nugget after being drugged by Harry and Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), self-harming out of guilt, and being institutionalised after suffering a breakdown and attempting suicide.
Casting and development Introduction and backstory
Executive producer Chris Clenshaw also added: "Ravi is captivating, cunning and dangerous, and can go from pleasant to menacing with very little warning – unlike Aaron who's a wonderful addition to the EastEnders cast. We're all excited to see Aaron bring the character to life and there's plenty of drama and shocking twists in store – wherever Ravi goes, trouble follows". Thiara's casting and character were also announced on the same day as his debut aired. Shaun Wren of Digital Spy described the character as "charming and charismatic" and "ruthless and unpredictable", while show bosses have also teased that Ravi is "willing to do whatever it takes to get what he wants with no fear of the consequences". It was later revealed that Ravi is in fact the son of Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) – he had an affair with Ranveer Gulati's (Anil Goutam) wife Haspira and Ravi is then conceived. It is initially believed by viewers Ranveer was Ravi's father but this is revealed to be a lie. He also has an affair with Nina Gupta (Hersha Verity), Ranveer's wife, and this is unbeknownst to him.
Affair with Denise Fox
The storyline's build up to the affair is scenes where viewers can see Ravi and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) drinking together in Peggy's wine bar. He insists on walking her home but once they make it to the square, he attempts to make an advance. Denise quickly shuts Ravi down after much temptation because she realises how much she values her husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Ravi then deliberately starts to follow Denise around, even ending back up at her house. They start passionately kissing after Ravi reminds her of her current marital issues. After chemistry is developed between Ravi and Denise, she cannot help herself but entertain Ravi's attention as he is her only source at that time as the family are also struggling with Amy Mitchell's (Ellie Dadd) self-harm and Ricky Mitchell's (Frankie Day) teenage pregnancy with Lily Slater (Lillia Turner). In the light of recent events, Denise begins to struggle in her marriage and begins contracting feelings for Ravi. He invites Denise to a hotel, to which after much consideration she accepts. They meet in the hotel and begin again passionately kissing however Denise realises she can no longer go through with it. She is caught on CCTV at the hotel as Jack and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) are working on a case against Ravi. Denise then tells Ravi about the case and how Callum is aware of where she was, he begins to blackmail Denise. When she does not succumb to his demands, he begins dating her daughter Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams). After Denise's continuous meddling and discouragement, Chelsea begins a relationship for Ravi and provides him with a false alibi. The romance later ends after Denise steals Ravi's laptop and finds a CCTV recording of Ravi murdering Ranveer despite Ravi destroying the evidence. The affair is later revealed to Jack; the pair start publicly brawling outside the Walford East restaurant that Ravi owns. Ravi then puts himself on Jack's radar as Jack claims he will get him by the book.
Introduction of estranged daughter On 21 September 2023, it was announced that Ravi and his son Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) would appear in a storyline central to their family that would lead to the introduction of his former lover and Nugget's mother, Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy). Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) was also announced as a new character, and was introduced as Ravi and Priya's secret daughter, and Nugget's sister. The characters and both James' and Khan Levy's casting details were announced on the same day. In the character's backstory, Priya became pregnant with Avani after the end of her relationship with Ravi, so he does not know about her existence upon her introduction. It was also revealed by Priya that Ranveer sexually assaulted her and paid her off to leave Ravi, Nugget and their family whilst she was pregnant with Avani. Nugget runs away to his mother after Suki reveals to him that Ravi murdered Ranveer. Nugget is found staying with Priya. Nugget is returned to Albert Square by Jack, Nish, Suki and Ravi. The next day, Priya, along with Avani, arrive in Walford. Scenes earlier showed Priya and Avani being evicted from their home, and so they scheme until Nish allows them stay.
Viewer voted storyline Ahead of the show's 40th anniversary celebrations, it was announced that a live episode would be broadcast to celebrate the occasion (as had been done previously in 2010, 2012 and 2015); however, unlike previous occasions, this would feature an interactive element by allowing the viewers to vote on one of the show's storylines. On the 6th of January 2025, it was confirmed that this element of the episode would see the conclusion of a love triangle between Denise, Jack and Ravi, with viewers given the choice as to whether she would reunite with Jack (following their divorce earlier in the year) or Ravi. Clenshaw expressed excitement to give viewers the opportunity to choose, as well as to see which suitor would win the vote. Clenshaw, who has been recognised for attempting to appeal EastEnders to a younger audience during his tenure, incorporated the twist to appeal to Generation Z, explaining: "They watch reality TV, they've grown up with video games, they're used to being involved in the narrative".He has also stated that the interactive element was incorporated as a "gift" for consistent viewers. It was confirmed that the choice's outcome would be revealed during the live episode, with a scene set to depict Denise knocking on the door of the chosen man.
The storyline began on Christmas Day 2024, when Denise and Ravi share a kiss in the snow, eventually having sex. After Nish attacks Denise on New Year's Day and leaves her in a comatose state, Ravi angrily kills him, and the two eventually rekindle their romance in the aftermath, despite Jack's continued attempts to woo his ex-wife. When the affair is exposed,. Denise ends her relationship with Ravi, but comes to realise she must choose between her two suitors. In the aftermath of an explosion at the Queen Vic, she eventually decides to reconcile with Jack.
The vote opened on 19 February 2025, following the respective episode's conclusion, and remained open from 8:30 pm to 7:10 pm the following day, closing only twenty minutes before the live episode's airing. To vote, audiences had to answer a poll on the BBC website. After being independently verified, Clenshaw would discard the script that lost. It was teased on 31 January 2025 that as well as voting for Denise's partner, viewers would also be given another vote to decide a development in a story. This choice was later revealed to be the choice of name for Sonia Fowler's (Natalie Cassidy), baby daughter, with viewers being given the options of Julia and Toni, after the show's creators Julia Smith and Tony Holland, respectively. The results of each vote were revealed in the live episode, as it depicted Denise rekindling her romance with Jack and Sonia naming her newborn daughter Julia.
Thiara said of his role in the storyline that he was "deeply grateful" to be involved in the show's anniversary, having enjoyed the soap's previous milestone events. In the aftermath of the anniversary week, Jack and Denise resumed their relationship, with Ravi eventually reconciling with Priya several months later. Clenshaw has since opined that he believed viewers had made the right choice and that he was "pleased" with the outcome.
Return to crime and cuckooing storyline In February 2025, Nish's will is unsealed, where Bernadette Taylor (Clair Norris) is made executor of Nish's estate. Bernadette subsequently uses this as an opportunity to embezzle the family's wealth in order to get revenge on Ravi's stepmother Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) and her fellow conspirators for their role in the murder of her brother Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters). With the Panesar family left in financial ruin, Ravi returns to a life of crime, despite his promises to Priya that he would go straight. Ravi soon recruits Tobias "Okie" Okyere (Aayan Ibikunle Shoderu) to help him pedal drugs and the two blackmail Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) and Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) to assist in their criminal enterprise after the two men lose their drugs.
Okie and Ravi formed what Joshua Halm from Metro described to be a "dangerous alliance". It was also revealed that Kojo, an autistic man, was made vulnerable to the cuckooing process, which is the practice of using a person's dwelling, usually one who is vulnerable, for illegal activities. Executive producer Ben Wadey spoke about the storyline: "At EastEnders, we're proud to tell stories that reflect the real challenges people face, and Kojo's cuckooing storyline is one that feels especially important." He continued: "Cuckooing is a form of exploitation that too often goes unseen and hasn't featured on EastEnders before. Through Kojo's experience we hope to have shined a light on how easily vulnerable people can be manipulated and isolated – something that can happen in any community, but feels particularly resonant in a city like London, where people live side by side and yet can still slip through the cracks. Working closely with experts and charities, our aim has been to tell this story with care and authenticity, and to raise awareness as to how to identify the signs of exploitation and the importance of reaching out for help."