Nitin Ganatra
Encyclopedia
Nitin Ganatra is a Kenya
n born British actor
. He is known internationally as Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton 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
as Haroun. In the United Kingdom he is currently best known for playing Masood Ahmed
in the BBC
soap-opera EastEnders
and Dev Raja in Mumbai Calling
.
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
, 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 2009 British cult film Shifty about a Muslim crack-cocaine dealer, and Martin Soper in Twenty Twelve
.
when he was four years old. Nitin went to Coundon Court School and Community College
on Northbrook Road in Coventry
.
He studied Drama, Film and Tv at the University of Bristol. He went on to train under the tuterlage of the late Master theatre practionor Jerzy Grotowski
Nitin married his wife Meera on 17 July 2004 and has two children. He currently lives in North London.
in the BBC
soap opera EastEnders
. He won 'Best Onscreen Partnership' alongside Nina Wadia
at the 2009 British Soap Awards
. He also appears in the 2010 spin-off series EastEnders: E20
. He was also nominated for "Best Actor" at the British Soap Awards 2010.
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
n born British actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is known internationally as Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (film)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 2005 film adaptation of the 1964 book of the same name by Roald Dahl. The film was directed by Tim Burton. The film stars Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket and Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka...
. He also appears in the Gurinder Chada film Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice
Bride and Prejudice is a 2004 romantic musical film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The screenplay by Chadha and Paul Mayeda Berges is a Bollywood-style adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It was filmed primarily in English, with some Hindi and Punjabi dialogue. The film released in...
as Kholi Saab and The Mistress of Spices
The Mistress of Spices (film)
The Mistress of Spices is a film by Paul Mayeda Berges, with a screenplay by Gurinder Chadha and Berges. It is based upon the novel The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The film stars Aishwarya Rai...
as Haroun. In the United Kingdom he is currently best known for playing Masood Ahmed
Masood Ahmed
Masood Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nitin Ganatra.- Storylines :Masood moves to 41 Albert Square with Zainab, Shabnam and Tamwar in October 2007. Masood and Zainab are both active in the postal industry: Masood is a postman and Zainab the owner of a...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap-opera EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
and Dev Raja in Mumbai Calling
Mumbai Calling
Mumbai Calling is a British-Indian comedy series, starring Sanjeev Bhaskar, set in the fictional Teknobable call centre in Mumbai. The series was shot on location in India. The pilot first aired on ITV on 30 May 2007...
.
He also appeared in the first ever iPod commercial. Ganatra also appeared in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show
The Catherine Tate Show is a British television sketch comedy written by Catherine Tate and Aschlin Ditta. Tate also stars in all but one of the show's sketches, which feature a wide range of characters. The Catherine Tate Show airs on BBC Two and is shown worldwide through the BBC...
, as Joanie Taylor's daughter's partner.
Other appearances include the TV show Jane Hall
Jane Hall (TV series)
Jane Hall was a six-part British television comedy drama on ITV, written by Sally Wainwright and starring Sarah Smart and Stephen Mangan, revolving around Jane Hall's job training to be a bus driver and her home life in Hounslow, "the arsehole of London"....
, the CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
television show Gina's Laughing Gear, a character in Meet the Magoons
Meet the Magoons
Meet the Magoons is a six part comedy television series in the United Kingdom aired on Channel 4 in 2005, directed by and starring Hardeep Singh Kohli. The main characters are a Punjabi family who live in Glasgow, and own an Indian restaurant called "The Spice".It received mixed reviews. A. A...
playing himself, a semi lead role as Rez, brother of main character Shifty, in the 2009 British cult film Shifty about a Muslim crack-cocaine dealer, and Martin Soper in Twenty Twelve
Twenty Twelve (TV series)
Twenty Twelve is a BBC comedy series written and directed by John Morton. Starring Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Hynes and Amelia Bullmore, the programme is a spoof on-location documentary following the organisation of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London...
.
Personal life
Of Indian parentage, he moved with his family from Kenya to the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
when he was four years old. Nitin went to Coundon Court School and Community College
Coundon Court School
Coundon Court School is a comprehensive school in Coundon, Coventry, England. The current head teacher is Mrs Deborah Morrison, OBE. The school has been awarded specialist status as a Technology College.-Overview:...
on Northbrook Road in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
.
He studied Drama, Film and Tv at the University of Bristol. He went on to train under the tuterlage of the late Master theatre practionor Jerzy Grotowski
Nitin married his wife Meera on 17 July 2004 and has two children. He currently lives in North London.
EastEnders
From 16 October 2007, Nitin Ganatra has played regular character Masood AhmedMasood Ahmed
Masood Ahmed is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Nitin Ganatra.- Storylines :Masood moves to 41 Albert Square with Zainab, Shabnam and Tamwar in October 2007. Masood and Zainab are both active in the postal industry: Masood is a postman and Zainab the owner of a...
in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
soap opera EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. He won 'Best Onscreen Partnership' alongside Nina Wadia
Nina Wadia
-Television and film:Wadia first came to prominence in BBC sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, playing characters such as Mrs "I can make it at home for nothing!" and one half of The Competitive Mothers...
at the 2009 British Soap Awards
British Soap Awards
The British Soap Awards is an annual awards ceremony to honour the best of British soap operas.The first event took place in 1999 and takes place in May each year. Although it is an ITV production, the events were held at the BBC Television Centre, in London until 2010. The 2011 awards relocated to...
. He also appears in the 2010 spin-off series EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20
EastEnders: E20 is a British Internet soap opera, which began airing on 8 January 2010. A spin-off from the established BBC soap EastEnders, it is set in EastEnders regular setting of Albert Square, a Victorian square in the fictional borough of Walford, in the East End of London...
. He was also nominated for "Best Actor" at the British Soap Awards 2010.