enthusiasts were taken aback upon discovering that Sophie Khan Levy, who portrays Priya Nandra-Hart, is the daughter of a highly renowned actress.
Sophie’s character, Priya, arrived in Walford last year with her daughter Avani (played by Aaliyah James), as Ravi’s (Aaron Thiara) former girlfriend and unknown child, leaving Ravi and the entire Panesar family in shock.
Priya and Avani quickly became central to numerous dramatic storylines, from family disputes within the Panesar clan to Priya’s own romantic complications.
This week on the soap, Priya was seen supporting Avani after their grandfather Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) came close to death due to his terminal illness.
However, Sophie Khan Levy’s acting career extends beyond . In 2023, she took on the role of Gabrielle Ade in the chilling drama based on ‘true’ events, The Sixth Commandment.
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Sophie joined the soap last year (Image: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
She also appeared in the veterinary drama All Creatures Great and Small in 2022, and in James Corden’s Amazon Prime series Mammals as Beth.
Fans have recently discovered that Sophie has a famous family connection. Her mother is Shaheen Khan, best known for her role as Mrs Bhamra in the 2002 film Bend It Like Beckham, reports The Mirror.
Shaheen also portrayed Kiran Joghill in the ‘s medical soap Casualty in the late ’80s, and has had roles in other popular shows such as Doctors and Doctor Who.
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Her mum starred in Bend It Like Beckham (Image: Youtube)
Fans were left gobsmacked upon discovering that Shaheen is Sophie’s real-life mother, with a user exclaiming: “Omg didn’t know the bend it like Beckham mum was her mum.”
Another fan expressed their astonishment: “I didn’t know this, I love the film bend it like Beckham and she’s so good as priya.”
Meanwhile, a third shared their reaction: “The way I went and told everyone in my household they’re mother and daughter in real life, so surprised.”
Her mum also appeared in Casualty (Image: Instagram)
Sophie, discussing her new role on , enthused last year: “I’m super excited to be joining the show, and I can’t wait to see what trouble Priya gets herself into!”
She added, reflecting on her childhood memories of the show: “I watched when I was growing up, so to see so many familiar faces and to walk onto the set is a dream come ‘true’.”
airs Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on One and iPlayer