Zainab Khan

Zainab Masood is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by comedienne Nina Wadia. She made her first appearance on 16 July 2007.

Background
Zainab Masood was one of several Asian characters introduced in 2007 by the executive producer of EastEnders, Diederick Santer. She made her first appearance in July 2007 as "a strong-willed woman in her early 40s who owns a string of post offices". Zainab was the first member of the Masood family introduced. The rest of her family, including Masood Ahmed, Shabnam Masood, Syed Masood and Tamwar Masood (Zainab's husband, daughter and two sons), have since joined the programme. The Masoods (without Syed) moved to a property on Albert Square in October 2007, and became regular characters. The Masoods were the first Muslim family to join the show since the Karims, who appeared between 1987 and 1990, and they were the first Asian family to be introduced since the unsuccessful Ferreira family in 2003. Panned by critics and viewers, the Ferreiras were dismissed as unrealistic by the Asian community in the UK, and were eventually axed in 2005.

The introduction of more ethnic minority characters is part of producer Diederick Santer's plan to "diversify", to make EastEnders "feel more 21st century". Prior to 2007, EastEnders was heavily criticised by the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE), for not representing the East End's real "ethnic make-up". It was suggested that the average proportion of visible minority faces on EastEnders was substantially lower than the actual ethnic minority population in East London boroughs, and it therefore reflected the East End in the 1960s, not the East End of the 2000s. Furthermore, it was suggested that an element of "tokenism" and stereotyping surrounded many of the minority characters in EastEnders. The expansion of minority representation in EastEnders provides "more opportunities for audience identification with its characters, hence a wider appeal." Trevor Phillips, CRE chair, has said: "balanced representation of ethnic minority communities in the media matters. The industry has a key part to play in this, it is a powerful tool and can go a long way towards helping to build an integrated society."

Casting
Actress and comedienne, Nina Wadia—best known for starring in the sketch show Goodness Gracious Me—was approached and subsequently cast in the role of Zainab. This was Wadia's second role in EastEnders. She had previously played a nurse, who tended to Michelle Fowler after she was shot in 1994. Wadia has commented: "I'm thrilled to join the show and I can't wait for Zainab to come to the Square and cause some trouble… Zainab Masood is very rude. It’s nice to be a bit of a bitch as you don’t normally get the chance in real life… It's so nice to come to work and have some adult conversation, as at home I spend most of my day chatting to a three-year-old or my three-and-a-half-month-old baby." EastEnders executive producer, Diederick Santer, added: "I'm enormously excited to welcome Nina Wadia to EastEnders. She's a brilliant comedy actress and I'm sure her character Zainab will showcase all her comic and dramatic talents."

Personality
Zainab is portrayed as a "tough-talking businesswoman". Described as "Walford's answer to Sir Alan Sugar", Zainab has a "direct manner" with a "a tongue that could cut glass", which can be "hugely intimidating". This became evident shortly after the character's introduction, when Zainab become embroiled in an ongoing feud with her employee Denise Wicks (Diane Parish). An EastEnders spokesperson has commented: "[Zainab's] not there to make friends".

Despite her "fierce manner", Zainab is a "devoted mother", and she is also described as "great fun" with a "wicked sense of humour." Wadia has said that Zainab's relationship with her husband, Masood (Nitin Ganatra), allows for her character to show a "softer side". She adds "with him, you will get to see her smile!". Santer also said that she will be the new battle-axe on the show (replacing Pauline Fowler) — the "Asian" matriarch of the Square. Wadia later described Zainab as someone she would not want to meet in real life: "I constantly say on set, 'I annoy myself' when I play Zainab. She's really irritating — the kind of woman that I'd never want to meet. I was on holiday last week, I went up to the Lake District, and every place that I stopped, people came up to me and said, 'Oh, you made me laugh last night'. One woman said to me, 'My husband screams at the television screen when you come on!' and I know then that I'm doing my job." Wadia later said "Zainab is quite the bitch, isn't she? I certainly wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley at night, but she is such good fun to play."

Wadia has also said that Zainab is the more traditional of the Masood family but is also conflicted: "She's the more devout Muslim, even though she was married when she was younger to another man before falling in love with Masood. [...] Being in this country at the age she's at, she has her traditional values but she fights terribly to be modern and to fit into Western society. Look at the way she dresses for a start. She only wears the traditional clothes when it's to her advantage, like if she has to meet the imam. So she does play the game, but deep down, Zainab's someone who'll come across as traditional but inside, she's a free spirit. That's what makes her so angry and conflicted, because she's constantly fighting herself."

Pregnancy
In August 2009, Zainab is forced come to terms with the fact that she is 15 weeks pregnant in her mid-40s. Zainab and Masood are ready to settle down as Shabnam has left home, Tamwar is going to university and Syed is preparing for marriage. An EastEnders source told entertainment website Digital Spy: "Zainab's in her mid-40s and was looking forward to spending some quality time with Masood, but the news certainly throws a spanner in the works. Their plans to see the world instantly fall apart and she faces a dilemma as to what to do." Wadia said she cried on hearing about the storyline, saying that she was not looking forward to wearing a pregnancy suit: "From a purely aesthetic point of view, the thought of having to come in early to put on foam and then sweat while filming... I get very hot on set and we have to pretend that it's winter before it is, so we have to wear extra clothing. Just the thought of it made me cry! Because I'm quite a new mum in real life, to have to have kids at work as well also made me tear up!" The storyline also includes EastEnders' first scenes filmed in a mosque, which Wadia said was "huge" and "stunning". She said that Zainab is terrified due to her age and the fact it will interfere with her career, and she feels trapped because she does not want the baby but abortion is forbidden by her faith, adding "At this point, though, she's questioning whether she should go against her faith and abort. That's a huge thing for her." Finally Wadia said that she feels Zainab will be a "very funny mother".

Backstory
Born and raised in Pakistan, Zainab brought shame upon her family after she had an affair with Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) while married to Yusef Khan (Ace Bhatti). As punishment, Zainab was set on fire by Yusef's family. Masood rescued her and she divorced her husband to marry Masood, joining him in the UK, where they had three children, Syed (Marc Elliott), Shabnam (Zahra Ahmadi), and Tamwar (Himesh Patel). Family members still treated Zainab with contempt however, particularly her brother-in-law Inzamam Ahmed (Paul Bhattacharjee). Inzamam pestered her to sleep with him for years: he considered her a "fallen woman". The Masoods ran their own business until 2004, when Syed stole from the family, nearly bankrupting them. Masood initially took the blame and banished him from their lives to save Zainab's feelings, though the truth eventually came out years later. The Masoods decided on a career change, working in the postal service.

2007—
Zainab arrives as the owner of Walford's Post Office. Zainab is business-oriented, direct and strict, clashing with employee Denise Wicks (Diane Parish) immediately, though this later turns to friendship, despite competitiveness between them. The post office flounders in debt. Zainab turns to Inzamam for a loan, but he wants sex in return for the money, which disgusts her. Despite the Masoods' best efforts, they are forced to close the post office; Zainab struggles to cope with the embarrassment and deceives the community, blaming the council for the post office's closure. The community demonstrates to keep it open on her behalf until Zainab reluctantly admits the truth. As well as this, daughter Shabnam decides to leave Walford in October 2008 to travel in Pakistan.

The Masoods attempt to turn their fortunes around, starting a catering business. Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) invests £2000 and the company merges with Ian and Christian Clarke's (John Partridge) catering company, becoming "Masala Queen", and Zainab is elected as manager. Problems emerge when money goes missing from the business account and Zainab suspects her husband, thinking he has done this before. Tamwar admits taking the money – lending it to his older brother, Syed, temporarily for a business deal. Desperate to see him, Zainab contacts Syed and meets him away from Walford, making Masood think she is having an affair. However, the truth is revealed, and despite initial hostilities, Syed moves to Albert Square. Zainab tells Masood she is pregnant, and that she unsure about having the baby. She later comes round to the idea of having the baby as abortion is forbidden by her religion. She starts planning Syed's wedding to his fiancée, Amira Shah (Preeya Kalidas). As the family are short of money, Masood seeks a loan from Inzamam. He visits, bringing the money and his family, but Zainab is unhappy about them being there. Masood confronts her in the kitchen, and she reveals that he has been pestering her to sleep with him for years. Disgusted, Masood gives Inzamam his money back and throws him out, telling him never to return.

Christian pulls out from organising the wedding with the family. Zainab wants to know what is wrong with him, and confronts him, thinking he is infatuated with her son. Christian tells her that Syed is gay and they have been seeing each other. Zainab then confronts her son, and orders him to marry Amira anyway, which he does. After Syed and Amira return from their honeymoon, Syed tells Zainab he cannot pretend for the rest of his life as it is not fair on Amira. However, Zainab forcefully persuades her son to continue his marriage. After an argument with Syed, Zainab gets accidentally locked inside the catering unit on her own, where she goes into labour. She is eventually found by Christian, but refuses his help. Masood, Syed and Tamwar arrive, with Christian giving instructions from the phone. Masood delivers the baby, who is subsequently named Kamil. Masood reveals that he saw Christian and Syed together, and Zainab pretends that she did not already know. They argue and Syed overhears it, so confronts them saying that he will make his own choices. During Syed and Amira's flat-warming party, Amira discovers the affair and Syed comes out to his friends and family. Amira leaves, and Chrisitan's sister, Jane (Laurie Brett) then reveals to Masood that Zainab knew about the affair since before the wedding. Masood and Zainab argue, and he packs her belongings and physically throws her out. The couple reconcile, however, and Syed moves back into the family home. He tries therapy for a while to cure his same-sex attraction, but eventually reunites with Christian. Masood and Zainab cut off their son again, and Tamwar is angry that Zainab is acting as if Syed is dead. However, when a fire breaks out at The Queen Victoria public house, Zainab helps Syed to get out safely.

Zainab makes plans to buy the local Indian restaurant, the Argee Bhajee, but Masood is against this, and Ian attempts to outbid her. Tamwar starts seeing Afia Khan (Meryl Fernandes) and her father, Yusef, wants to meet his parents. He turns up and shocks Zainab as he is her ex-husband whose family set her on fire. He reveals he tried to save her life and he came to make peace, but Masood attacks him and throws him out. The next day Yusef returns and asks Zainab if Tamwar and Afia can still see each other. Zainab refuses and tells Yusef to ban Afia from trying to contact Tamwar. Later Masood discovers that Zainab is still planning to buy the Argee Bhajee against his wishes which causes him to storm out. She continues to defy Masood, and proceeds with her bid for the restaurant. She is successful, but only after paying an inflated price for it, saying that it is for Tamwar's future. After his initial anger at the purchase, Masood forgives Zainab. She invites Ian and Jane to lunch to clear the air over the restaurant. While sharing the meal, Zainab is confused as Ian seems to speak in riddles. He then suggests that Zainab organised the lunch to ask if the Beales would buy the Masoods out of Marsala Queen, which Zainab denies.

Tamwar invites Afia to the opening of the Argee Bhajee, leaving Zainab shocked. However, after Zainab speaks to Denise, she and Masood agree to let Tamwar see Afia in the hope it will fizzle out, rather than push them together by forbidding the relationship. However this did not work and when Yusef visits he discovers that Tamwar and Afia had secretly been seeing each other. When Tamwar and Afia says they are in love, Yusef blesses them to marry, which Zainab and Masood are very displeased about. Zainab is then forced to accept Afia including Yusef to the family as she says she does not want to risk losing Tamwar like she did to Syed. Zainab is annoyed to learn that Yusef is the new Walford GP and that he and Denise are seeing each other. Following an argument, Tamwar and Afia marry in secret, and at their mangni (engagement party), Syed attends and Zainab and Masood say he is not welcome. The roof then collapses, after a warning from Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth) that the building is unsafe, and Syed is hit by a falling beam and knocked unconscious. After Yusef tells Zainab that Syed is close to death, Zainab vistis Syed in hospital where she caresses him and he wakes up. She then leaves and cries in Yusef's arms, but then tells him to leave, realising he lied. Zainab then discovers from Masood that he cancelled the insurance policy on the restaurant. When Syed thanks Zainab for coming to the hospital, she says it was a mistake that she would not repeat. Ian then demands compesation from Zainab for a minor injury sustained in the collapse.

Other appearances
Zainab also makes cameo appearances in the Internet spin-off series EastEnders: E20. In episode 1 of series 1, Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny) runs past her, then Andy (Steve North), who is chasing Zsa Zsa, runs into her. In episode 3 of series 2, she attends a dance class run by a man named Roger (Eddie Elliott), but assumes Asher Levi (Heshima Thompson) is Roger as Roger is late. When Roger arrives, Asher runs off with the money and Zainab finds him, telling him to keep the money but advising him to stick to dancing rather than stealing.

Reception
Zainab, along with the rest of the Masood family, was criticised by actor Deepak Verma, who played Sanjay Kapoor between 1993 and 1998. He said that EastEnders had failed to portray Asian families in a realistic manner, branding the family "two-dimensional and ill-conceived". A BBC spokesperson responded by saying ""It's a shame Deepak feels that way but that's clearly his personal opinion. The Masood family have proved to be hugely popular with EastEnders viewers."

EastEnders was criticised by Location, Location, Location host Kirstie Allsopp for a scene broadcast on 1 January 2010, in which Zainab told gay Christian Clarke, "Take your perverted obsession elsewhere. What you do makes me feel sick." Allsop said the scene was "totally unsuitable for 6.30pm" and added "I don't want kids watching that kind of rant – in time they'll know about bigots but please not yet." The BBC responded by saying "Since this storyline began, EastEnders has always shown a balance of opinions to ensure that we capture the many different views of the characters involved. Zainab has always been an extremely opinionated character but her views do not go unchallenged and it is within these conflicts that the drama unfolds. We have taken great care in portraying this sensitive storyline and we always ensure that our episodes are suitable for the timeslot in which they are shown"

In March 2011, Wadia was nominated for the second year running in the 'Best Actress' category at the British Soap Awards.