The Karims are a fictional family that appear in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
soap opera
A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...
''
EastEnders
''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...
'' between July 1987 and June 1990.
Creation and development
The
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
Karim family are introduced as the owners of the soap's grocery store, the First til Last, following the departure of the character
Naima Jeffery
Naima Jeffery is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Shreela Ghosh from 19 February 1985 to 19 November 1987.
Asian Naima tries to embrace Western culture, but this is not easy since her family constantly try ...
(
Shreela Ghosh
Shreela Ghosh (born 25 September 1962) is a former dancer, actress and reporter, became publicly known in the United Kingdom when she was cast as Naima Jeffery in 1985, one of the original characters in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. She h ...
) in 1987, who runs the business since ''EastEnders inception in February 1985.
The family includes father Ashraf Karim (
Aftab Sachak
Aftab Sachak (born 16 July 1952) is an African British actor. He went to an English public school before studying acting.
He made his television debut in ''King of the Ghetto'' in 1986 and played the serious minded shop keeper, Ashraf Karim, ...
), his wife Sufia ( Rani Singh) and their two teenage children, eldest daughter Shireen (Nisha Kapur) and son Sohail (Ronnie Jhutti). The head of the family, Ashraf, is scripted as the second cousin of original character
Saeed Jeffery
Saeed Jeffery is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Andrew Johnson (actor), Andrew Johnson from 19 February to 26 December 1985.
Saeed is the original owner of the First til Last grocery store. He is never tru ...
(
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
), who departs the serial in December 1985. A character named Ashraf Jeffrey appears briefly in July 1987, described as the brother of Saeed who owns the property above Naima and Saeed's shop; he comes to inform the occupants, Sue and
Ali Osman
Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original ''EastEnders'' cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly five ...
(
Sandy Ratcliff
Alexandra Ratcliff (2 October 1948 – 7 April 2019) was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap o ...
and
Nejdet Salih
Nej Adamson (born 23 December 1958), also credited as Nejdet Salih, is a British actor.
Career
Born in London, Adamson is of Turkish Cypriot descent. He played Ali Osman in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', a role he played from the series' i ...
), that he is selling the property. Ashraf at this time is played by Tony Wredden, but although he is referred to as Saeed's brother in this instance, when the character returns, played by Sachak, he is described as Saeed's second cousin. Various serial-accompanying, BBC books have since ignored the original description of Ashraf as Saeed's brother when retelling the character's history, assimilating his as a Karim from his first appearance. For instance, in an extract from the 1991 ''EastEnders Handbook'', author Hilary Kingsley writes, "Sue and Ali learn they may be evicted by Saeed's cousin, Ashraf Karim, because the flat is to be sold." Whilst in ''EastEnders Who's Who'', published in 2000, author Kate Lock lists Ashraf Karim's first appearance as July 1987, indicating that both Ashrafs were the same character with their backstory subsequently altered in the serial.
Collectively, the family were introduced by producer
Mike Gibbon
John Michael Gibbon (born 27 January 1942) is an English television producer and Television director, director.
He directed and produced the BBC televised soap opera, ''EastEnders''. He began directing the programme in 1985 and began producing t ...
early in 1988. Scriptwriter
Colin Brake
Colin Brake (born 1962) is an English television writer and script editor best known for his work for the BBC Television, BBC on programmes such as ''Bugs (television programme), Bugs'' and ''EastEnders''. He has also written Doctor Who spin-off ...
has written in his book, ''EastEnders: The First Ten Years'', that 1988 was a year of big change, "The year began in the way it intended to go on—with change. During January, Asraf nd his wifeSufia took over the foodstore".
Ashraf has been described as heavy-handed, serious-minded and stern, while the children have been described as bright, Sohail "sneaky" and Shireen "pretty". Storylines concentrate on racial difficulties and Ashraf's struggles to maintain Muslim ideologies in his children's lives, while they are identifying with Western culture. A love triange storyline is integrated into the Karims' marriage in 1989, when Ashraf is revealed to be having a long-running affair with a white woman named
Stella
Stella or STELLA may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Comedy
*Stella (comedy group), a comedy troupe consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain
Characters
*Stella (given name), including a list of characters with th ...
(
Cindy O'Callaghan
Cindy O'Callaghan is an Irish psychologist and former actress. Her acting career began in her adolescence, when she was chosen to play the part of Carrie Rawlins in the Disney feature film ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' in 1971. She has appeared ...
), causing many family problems. The culmination of this storyline sees the departure of the Karims in June 1990; they were among many to be axed by executive producer Michael Ferguson. It has been reported that the fate of Sufia was originally scripted differently. Prior to Ferguson's introduction, Gibbon had recruited writer David Yallop to devise ways to kill various members of the cast based, he claims, on their portrayer's acting ability. According to Yallop, Gibbon had agreed that Sufia would be gunned-down and killed in a shotgun raid. The plot never came to fruition, as Gibbon was demoted as head producer and then resigned.
Family tree
Ashraf Karim
Ashraf Karim, played by
Tony Wredden
Tony may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer
* Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...
in 1987 and
Aftab Sachak
Aftab Sachak (born 16 July 1952) is an African British actor. He went to an English public school before studying acting.
He made his television debut in ''King of the Ghetto'' in 1986 and played the serious minded shop keeper, Ashraf Karim, ...
from 1988 to 1990, came to
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
from
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
in 1968 and was already betrothed to Sufia ( Rani Singh), who was still a child in Bangladesh. Before he returned to Bangladesh to be married to Sufia, he met and had a fling with
Stella
Stella or STELLA may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Comedy
*Stella (comedy group), a comedy troupe consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain
Characters
*Stella (given name), including a list of characters with th ...
(
Cindy O'Callaghan
Cindy O'Callaghan is an Irish psychologist and former actress. Her acting career began in her adolescence, when she was chosen to play the part of Carrie Rawlins in the Disney feature film ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' in 1971. She has appeared ...
), a young
hippy
A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
, and their relationship continued on and off after Sufia emigrated to Britain to be with her husband in 1973. Sufia knew about Stella, and suspected other affairs and found them all distressing.
In the beginning, Ashraf worked in a car manufacturing plant in the
Midlands
The Midlands (also referred to as Central England) are a part of England that broadly correspond to the Kingdom of Mercia of the Early Middle Ages, bordered by Wales, Northern England and Southern England. The Midlands were important in the Ind ...
. Later on, relatives in
Walford
Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. It is the primary setting for the soap. ''EastEnders'' is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work i ...
East London offered him a job in one of their corner shops and he, Sufia and their two small children, Shireen (
Nisha Kapur Nisha, meaning "night" in Sanskrit (निशा, ''nishā''), is an Indian female given name, and may refer to:
People
*Nisha Noor (1962-2007), Indian actress
*Nisha Ganatra (born 1974), Canadian director, writer
* Nisha Patel-Nasri (1977–2006 ...
) and Sohail ( Ronnie Jhutti), came south to live. He saved enough money to open a business of his own, although
racist
Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
taunts and attacks made life difficult for him. Even so, by putting in long hours he finally made a success of running his third shop in Walford High Street.
Ashraf is the second cousin of
Saeed Jeffery
Saeed Jeffery is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Andrew Johnson (actor), Andrew Johnson from 19 February to 26 December 1985.
Saeed is the original owner of the First til Last grocery store. He is never tru ...
(
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...
) and upon Saeed's return to Bangladesh in 1985 he takes over ownership of the flat above the Jeffery's grocery store, First Til Last. Ashraf first appears in July 1987, when he comes to inform the tenants, Sue and
Ali Osman
Ali Osman is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Nejdet Salih. He was a member of the original ''EastEnders'' cast, appearing in the first episode on 19 February 1985. He remained with the show for nearly five ...
(
Sandy Ratcliff
Alexandra Ratcliff (2 October 1948 – 7 April 2019) was an English actress, model and counsellor. She made an impression as a model and film actress in the 1970s, but she became known for being one of the original cast members of the BBC soap o ...
and
Nejdet Salih
Nej Adamson (born 23 December 1958), also credited as Nejdet Salih, is a British actor.
Career
Born in London, Adamson is of Turkish Cypriot descent. He played Ali Osman in the BBC soap opera, ''EastEnders'', a role he played from the series' i ...
), that he is selling the flat. Ali wants to buy it but cannot afford it and so the flat is sold to
Alan McIntyre
Alan McIntyre (born 20 September 1949 in Wanganui) is a former field hockey player from New Zealand, who was a member of the national team that won the golden medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montré ...
(Pip Miller). In January 1988, Ashraf employs cousins in his shop in Walford, which leaves him free to buy and run First Til Last in Bridge Street, which is owned by Saeed's wife
Naima
"Naima" ( ) is a jazz ballad composed by John Coltrane in 1959 that he named after his then-wife, Juanita Naima Grubbs. Coltrane first recorded it for his 1959 album ''Giant Steps'', and it became one of his first well-known works.
History
Col ...
(
Shreela Ghosh
Shreela Ghosh (born 25 September 1962) is a former dancer, actress and reporter, became publicly known in the United Kingdom when she was cast as Naima Jeffery in 1985, one of the original characters in the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders''. She h ...
Tanveer Ghani
Tanveer Ghani is a British actor. He has appeared in various British television programmes and British films.
One of his first roles was in the BBC hospital drama, ''Angels'' (1982). He is perhaps best known for playing the role of Rezaul Kabir ...
) until the Karims' arrival. The Karims then move into a house in Victoria Road, which was previously owned by the hairdresser, Julie Cooper (
Louise Plowright
Louise Plowright (1 June 1956 – 1 March 2016) was a British actress who trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She first came to prominence playing abrasive hairdresser Julie Cooper in the television soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1 ...
) and Ashraf sends his two children to private school.
The first thing Ashraf does is hire
Arthur Fowler
Arthur Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Bill Treacher from 1985 to 1996.
The father of the Fowler family, Arthur was essentially a good man but made some foolish choices that he always ended up ...
(
Bill Treacher
William Charles Treacher (4 June 1930 – 5 November 2022) was an English actor. He was best known for portraying the role of Arthur Fowler in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' from 1985 to 1996, having been the first person to be cast for t ...
) to work at the First Til Last. However problems arise when Arthur manages to offend one of their Asian customers by including a meat product in her delivery. Ashraf decides to punish Arthur by giving him the humiliating task of being the paper delivery boy. After much teasing from the Walford residents Arthur dumps the papers without delivering them, causing many angry complaints from irate customers. Ashraf then decides that Arthur has to write each customer a letter of apology and personally deliver them, further humiliating him. Animosity between the pair only worsens and by July that year Arthur is sacked.
The Karims keep themselves to themselves, and Ashraf is particularly protective of his daughter, Shireen. He becomes extremely concerned when she starts spending a lot of time with
Ricky Butcher
Ricky Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sid Owen. Introduced as a school boy in 1988, Ricky is one of the longest-running male protagonists to feature in ''EastEnders''. Owen originally left the ro ...
(
Sid Owen
Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Strict ...
) and he tries to nip their blossoming relationship in the bud. However Shireen continues to see Ricky behind his back and when her brother, Sohail, reveals the relationship, Ashraf is furious. He bans her from seeing him and bans Ricky from his shop. Ashraf decides that the only way to stop her from fraternising with undesirable men is to marry her off to an eligible
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
suitor - much to Shireen's dismay. Muslim culture dictates that betrothed women must be
virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
s before marrying and so in the light of her dalliance with Ricky, Ashraf decides that Shireen has to have a virginity test performed. He marches her off to
Dr. Harold Legg
Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg is Walford's original GP. He is widely trusted within the community, and is always on hand to dish out advice. Dr Legg appears as ...
(
Leonard Fenton
Leonard Fenton (''né'' Finestein; 29 April 1926 – 29 January 2022) was a British actor, director and painter, best known for his role as Harold Legg, Dr. Harold Legg in ''EastEnders''.
Early life
Fenton was born Leonard Finestein Ashraf sets about arranging a marriage for his daughter. Despite Shireen's misgivings she is actually pleasantly surprised when she meets her suitor,
Jabbar Ahmed
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1990, by order of first appearance.
Harry Osborne
In January 1990, a mysterious old man ( John Boswall) is seen lingering around Albert Square ...
(
Gordon Warnecke
Gordon Warnecke (born 24 August 1962 in London) is a British actor of Indo-Guyanese and German descent. He may be best known for his role as Omar in the 1985 film ''My Beautiful Laundrette'', co-starring as the lover of Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis ...
) and they become genuinely attached. Meanwhile, Ashraf manages to talk Stella into reigniting their affair and he regularly sneaks away to be with her. Sometime later, though, Jabbar's uncle Parvez ( Mohammed Ashiq) spots Ashraf with Stella, in a restaurant, and realises the Karim family are not as honourable as they seem. The Ahmed's cancel the engagement and Shireen is left mystified and upset, while Sufia feels angry and betrayed at Ashraf's renewed adultery. Ashraf then decides that the only solution is to leave their shop in the hands of his cousins and move the family to
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
. Before they leave, Shireen's mother and the women of Jabbar's family help the young couple to meet secretly to keep the engagement going. Whether it took place or not is never stated as the Karims leave town soon after. The Karims' last appearance is in June 1990.
Sufia Karim
Sufia Karim, played by Rani Singh, married her husband
Ashraf
Sharīf ( ar, شريف, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef or sherif, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, fr ...
(
Aftab Sachak
Aftab Sachak (born 16 July 1952) is an African British actor. He went to an English public school before studying acting.
He made his television debut in ''King of the Ghetto'' in 1986 and played the serious minded shop keeper, Ashraf Karim, ...
) in an
arranged marriage
Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...
. He was older than her, and moved to
Britain
Britain most often refers to:
* The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands
* Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
in 1968, when she was a child still living in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. They married in Bangladesh and moved to Britain in 1973, and had two children; Sohail (
Ronny Jhutti
Ronny Jhutti (born Ajay Jhutti, 1973) is a British actor, most notable for his role as Sohail Karim in '' EastEnders'', Danny Bartock in two episodes of '' Doctor Who'' and Naz Omar in ''Vexed''.
Ronny was raised in London, where he was born, as ...
Nisha Kapur Nisha, meaning "night" in Sanskrit (निशा, ''nishā''), is an Indian female given name, and may refer to:
People
*Nisha Noor (1962-2007), Indian actress
*Nisha Ganatra (born 1974), Canadian director, writer
* Nisha Patel-Nasri (1977–2006 ...
).
Sufia makes her first appearance in the serial in 1988, when she moves to Walford with her family.
In 1989 she discovers that Ashraf is having an affair with a woman named
Stella
Stella or STELLA may refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Comedy
*Stella (comedy group), a comedy troupe consisting of Michael Showalter, Michael Ian Black and David Wain
Characters
*Stella (given name), including a list of characters with th ...
(
Cindy O'Callaghan
Cindy O'Callaghan is an Irish psychologist and former actress. Her acting career began in her adolescence, when she was chosen to play the part of Carrie Rawlins in the Disney feature film ''Bedknobs and Broomsticks'' in 1971. She has appeared ...
). Sufia decides to leave Ashraf, but he talks her round and she stays, as Ashraf and Stella's relationship had ended.
Ashraf and Sufia arrange a marriage for their daughter Shireen with a man named
Jabbar Ahmed
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1990, by order of first appearance.
Harry Osborne
In January 1990, a mysterious old man ( John Boswall) is seen lingering around Albert Square ...
(
Gordon Warnecke
Gordon Warnecke (born 24 August 1962 in London) is a British actor of Indo-Guyanese and German descent. He may be best known for his role as Omar in the 1985 film ''My Beautiful Laundrette'', co-starring as the lover of Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis ...
). Ashraf has started seeing Stella again, and Jabbar's family find out about his infidelity and call off the engagement. Sufia and Jabbar's mother help Jabbar and Shireen to secretly continue with the engagement as they have fallen in love. The Karims leave Walford to live in Bristol in June 1990.
Shireen Karim
Shireen Karim, played by
Nisha Kapur Nisha, meaning "night" in Sanskrit (निशा, ''nishā''), is an Indian female given name, and may refer to:
People
*Nisha Noor (1962-2007), Indian actress
*Nisha Ganatra (born 1974), Canadian director, writer
* Nisha Patel-Nasri (1977–2006 ...
, moves to Walford as a teenager in 1988, and grows friendly with the Butcher children, Diane (
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence (born 12 June 1972, Ilford, London) is an English actress and singer. She played the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' as a regular cast member from 1988 to 1991, making subsequent guest appearances in ...
) and
Ricky Ricky may refer to:
Places
*Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic
*Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic
* Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...
(
Sid Owen
Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Strict ...
). She and Ricky begin dating for a brief period, until Shireen's stern father
Ashraf
Sharīf ( ar, شريف, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef or sherif, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, fr ...
(
Aftab Sachak
Aftab Sachak (born 16 July 1952) is an African British actor. He went to an English public school before studying acting.
He made his television debut in ''King of the Ghetto'' in 1986 and played the serious minded shop keeper, Ashraf Karim, ...
) finds out and forbids her from seeing Ricky. Ashraf then decides that Shireen will enter an arranged marriage, and he humiliates his daughter further by requesting that Dr
Harold Legg
Dr. Harold Legg is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'', played by Leonard Fenton. Dr. Legg is Walford's original GP. He is widely trusted within the community, and is always on hand to dish out advice. Dr Legg appears as ...
(
Leonard Fenton
Leonard Fenton (''né'' Finestein; 29 April 1926 – 29 January 2022) was a British actor, director and painter, best known for his role as Harold Legg, Dr. Harold Legg in ''EastEnders''.
Early life
Fenton was born Leonard FinesteinTrevor Short
Trevor Andrew Short is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera, '' EastEnders'', played by Phil McDermott from 1 June 1989 to 1 March 1990.
Trevor is the inseparable sidekick of Paul Priestly ( Mark Thrippleton). He is a well-meaning indiv ...
(
Phil McDermott
Phil McDermott is a British actor. Before turning to acting he was a trainee priest, a scrap metal worker, a weighbridge operator and a carpenter. He is most famous for playing a regular character in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He played ...
) in 1989, but this ultimately leads nowhere as Shireen is betrothed to
Jabbar Ahmed
The following is a list of characters that first appeared in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders'' in 1990, by order of first appearance.
Harry Osborne
In January 1990, a mysterious old man ( John Boswall) is seen lingering around Albert Square ...
(
Gordon Warnecke
Gordon Warnecke (born 24 August 1962 in London) is a British actor of Indo-Guyanese and German descent. He may be best known for his role as Omar in the 1985 film ''My Beautiful Laundrette'', co-starring as the lover of Johnny (Daniel Day-Lewis ...
). Although Shireen is opposed to the idea of an arranged marriage, when she meets Jabbar she changes her mind. She falls in love with her suitor and is devastated when the marriage is called off due to the Ahmed family finding out about Ashraf's extra-marital affair with a white mistress. Before the Karims move away to Bristol, the women of the Karim and Ahmed families meet in secret, to discuss the possibility of Shireen and Jabbar marrying. Whether they reunite or not is not revealed, as the Karims leave Walford shortly after.
Sohail Karim
Sohail Karim, played by
Ronny Jhutti
Ronny Jhutti (born Ajay Jhutti, 1973) is a British actor, most notable for his role as Sohail Karim in '' EastEnders'', Danny Bartock in two episodes of '' Doctor Who'' and Naz Omar in ''Vexed''.
Ronny was raised in London, where he was born, as ...
, arrives in 1988 and takes a liking to
Diane Butcher
Diane Butcher is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Sophie Lawrence. Diane appeared as a regular character between 1988 and 1991, when Lawrence decided to leave. The character made several brief returns in 199 ...
(
Sophie Lawrence
Sophie Lawrence (born 12 June 1972, Ilford, London) is an English actress and singer. She played the role of Diane Butcher in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' as a regular cast member from 1988 to 1991, making subsequent guest appearances in ...
). He tries to blackmail her into dating him, by threatening to expose his sister Shireen's (
Nisha Kapur Nisha, meaning "night" in Sanskrit (निशा, ''nishā''), is an Indian female given name, and may refer to:
People
*Nisha Noor (1962-2007), Indian actress
*Nisha Ganatra (born 1974), Canadian director, writer
* Nisha Patel-Nasri (1977–2006 ...
) secret relationship with Diane's brother
Ricky Ricky may refer to:
Places
*Říčky (Brno-Country District), a village and municipality in the Czech Republic
*Říčky v Orlických horách, a village in the north of the Czech Republic
* Rickmansworth, a town in England sometimes called "Ricky" ...
(
Sid Owen
Sid Owen (born David Sutton; 12 January 1972) is an English actor, television presenter and former singer, who played Ricky Butcher in the BBC One soap opera ''EastEnders'' on and off since 1988. He also appeared in the tenth series of ''Strict ...
). Diane agrees until Sohail tries to molest her, and after the date ends abruptly, Sohail informs his father
Ashraf
Sharīf ( ar, شريف, 'noble', 'highborn'), also spelled shareef or sherif, feminine sharīfa (), plural ashrāf (), shurafāʾ (), or (in the Maghreb) shurfāʾ, is a title used to designate a person descended, or claiming to be descended, fr ...
(
Aftab Sachak
Aftab Sachak (born 16 July 1952) is an African British actor. He went to an English public school before studying acting.
He made his television debut in ''King of the Ghetto'' in 1986 and played the serious minded shop keeper, Ashraf Karim, ...
) about Shireen and Ricky.
Sohail later rebels against his father's heavy-handed manner, and reacts badly when he discovers that his father is having an affair. Sohail, along with the rest of his family, moves to Bristol in 1990.
Reception
In 2003, Steve Pratt from ''
The Northern Echo
''The Northern Echo'' is a regional daily morning newspaper based in the town of Darlington in North East England, serving mainly southern County Durham and northern Yorkshire. The paper covers national as well as regional news. In 2007, its t ...
'' suggested that the Karim family were forgettable: "Few but the most fanatical soap fans will remember Albert Square's Karim family. They stayed in EastEnders for two years at the end of the 1980s, but were quickly forgotten after moving to Bristol in the wake of an arranged marriage that went wrong." He used the characters as an example of tokenism, negative stereotyping and a simplistic portrayal of ethnic minority communities in the UK, partly due to their installation as the owners of the soap's
corner shop
A convenience store, convenience shop, corner store or corner shop is a small retail business that stocks a range of everyday items such as coffee, groceries, snack foods, confectionery, soft drinks, ice creams, tobacco products, lottery tick ...
grocery store, typically associated with Asians in the UK.