EastEnders star Nitin Ganatra has revealed that he’s working in a paper shop after quitting the soap.
The Masood Ahmed actor is now spending his downtime working in his brother’s shop three years on from leaving.
“The corner shop has been there for over 45 years,” he said on the Made in the Midlands podcast.
“My brother runs it still. On Sunday, I was doing the papers with him.
“I was up at 4.30am doing the papers and trying not to mess up the paper round.
Read more: EastEnders: When does Gray Atkins leave? Does he die?
“It’s still got penny chews and the jars of sweets, all those lovely little things.”
Good for him not being too ‘starry’ to lend a hand in the family business.
However, while he paints an idyllic picture of most days – there are horrific downsides such as racist abuse from thugs.
The actor revealed the shop and his brother were attacked by racists last year.
Nitin Ganatra on racist abuse
“The windows were smashed and my brother was attacked last year,” he added.
And he says it was the same when he was younger in the 70s and 80s.
Nitin added: “Often, you’d get people throwing bricks at the windows and the house, they would come in and smash the shop up.
“My dad was attacked, but he fought back as well, and my brother was attacked, and my mum was spat at. It wasn’t a daily occurrence, but it was an angry, volatile time.”
The actor left EastEnders in January 2019.
He has gone on to star in major British dramas such as The Slate on Channel 4. T
Nitin has also had roles on CBBC series The Worst Witch, Midsomer Murders and Trial and Retribution.
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At the time of quitting the soap, he said: “I can now venture off to new horizons as an actor.
“I am still deeply attached to Masood and have invested much emotion into making this character memorable.
“I am in awe of how loved he is by audiences and fans of all ages, from all cultures and religions and walks of life. Thank you. I am humbled by the love.”
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EastEnders usually airs Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.35pm and Fridays at 8.30pm on BBC One.
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