Suki Panesar
Suki Panesar is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Balvinder Sopal. Sopal's casting and details about Suki were announced in December 2019, with the character making her first onscreen appearance on 27 January 2020. She was portrayed as the protective mother of Kheerat, Jags, Vinny and Ash Panesar who believe that she always has the right answer. Prior to her arrival, it is confirmed that her relationship with Ash is severed due to disagreeing with her bisexuality. Her initial storyline sees her lying about having cancer to garner sympathy and get closer to her children. She was immediately well received by viewers and critics, with Inside Soap writing that Suki had reached "soap icon status in record time". Sopal was shocked by the praise that she and Suki had received from the beginning of her tenure.
Over her tenure, Suki was developed from an antagonist into a character with some vulnerability. This begins with Suki being affected by racial abuse graffitied over her shop due to believing she had become ingrained into Walford. Suki then frames her son Jags for crimes that other son Vinny was responsible for; Jags later gets murdered in prison. The story explores Suki's guilt over what she has done and Honey Mitchell becomes a key source of support for Suki. She tries to kiss Honey and it transpires that Suki has an attraction to women, which gives an understanding of her homophobic treatment towards Ash. Her various feuds have also been a focal point for the character, with Suki's rivalries including the entire Mitchell and Slater family units.
Suki is later given a long-term love interest in Eve Unwin, and they embark on a secret affair. The on-off relationship has been told through a 'slow burn' approach to respect the reality of both the LGBTQ+ and the South Asian communities. Writers then introduced Suki's abusive husband, Nish, who is released from prison after he murdered Suki's friend. The storyline sees Suki coercively controlled by Nish, and despite not being scared of him, she is worried about what he could do throughout the storyline. Suki finally leaves Nish for Eve and helps to cover Nish's attack and the murder of Keanu Taylor during "the Six" storyline. For the whole of 2024, Nish plots revenge on Suki for leaving him and covering his attack, which culminates during Suki and Eve’s wedding on New Year’s Day 2025, when Nish dies after being pushed off the hotel roof by his illegitimate son Ravi Gulati, dragging Suki with him. In July 2025, Suki and Ash's stormy relationship is revisited when Ash plans to get married without telling Suki. Meanwhile, Suki's step-granddaughter Avani Nandra-Hart discovers she is pregnant. Seeing an opportunity, Suki manipulates Avani into keeping the baby so she can adopt the child herself, giving her another chance at motherhood.
Sopal's acting abilities have been praised throughout her tenure and she has received various awards and nominations for her portrayal. Suki and Eve's relationship, dubbed "SukEve", has also been well received by the LGBTQ+ community, with Diva magazine praising the representation it depicted.
Casting and characterisation
Prior to Suki being announced, she was referenced onscreen by her children, Kheerat, Jags, Vinny and Ash. A few months after their arrivals on EastEnders, it was confirmed that their mother would be joining the programme and that Balvinder Sopal had been cast in the role. Executive producer Jon Sen liked the "unique blend of steeliness and charm" that she brought to the role. Sopal grew up watching the soap and was "pinching self" to have been cast on it. She was also impressed that EastEnders were looking to introduce a modern Punjabi woman with an unwavering and uncompromising attitude. She also appreciated that Suki is a character who creates drama rather than reacting to it.Suki is a character who is "set to cause chaos" from her introduction. Sen made it clear that as soon as her children were introduced, they were shown to be living under their mother's shadow. He billed her as an overbearing matriarch and someone who is determined to have an impact wherever she goes. She enjoys attention, is fiercely protective of her family and is able to easily draw people in. The BBC noted that Suki "always knows best and she is not one to be reckoned with." Sopal also billed Suki as someone who "puts an idea into your head and lets the seed grow, as if you came up with it". Over time, after writers had "slowly unveiled layers" to Suki, Sopal said that although she enjoyed vulnerable scenes, she preferred playing Suki's bitchy moments. She explained: "I've always played downtrodden, you know, submissive women, so to be out there and sort of the female version of Phil Mitchell, I think is great." A key part of Suki's look is her beehive hairstyle, which she is seen wearing in most scenes.
Development
Cancer lie and getting Jags arrested
Suki's "torrid" relationship with Ash was hinted at prior to Suki's arrival and it was confirmed that their dynamic would be a central part of the Panesars' initial storylines. Sopal explained that their strained relationship comes as a result of the pair being similar in that they are both strong-minded women who want different things. When she arrives in Walford, Ash describes Suki as "a nasty, evil, lying narcissist who wraps everyone around her little finger" to girlfriend Iqra Ahmed. Suki arrives claiming to have cancer and wanting to make up with Ash, telling her that she does not want to die with her only daughter hating her. It transpires that their issues arose due to Suki disapproving of Ash being bisexual. Suki befriends Jean Slater, who is undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer, and recites information about Jean's cancer to pass off as her own. Suki's "conniving streak" soon makes Ash realise that Suki is faking having cancer, who eventually admits that she faked it to bring her feuding family back together before their father is released from prison.Shiv Jalota, who plays Vinny, warned that despite Suki's cancer lie being dark, she would become darker. Suki sets up businesses in Walford, in which she hires her children to work for her. One scheme involves getting gambling addict Kush Kazemi to gamble the Slater family home in a game that she cheats in, winning the home and becoming their landlord. Jags becomes a rent collector for properties that Suki buys and rents out. She gets Jags to be ruthless with tenants who are late with their payments, which his secret girlfriend, Habiba Ahmed, disapproves of. She tells him that if he does not stand up to Suki and become nicer, she does not want a relationship. He refuses to be ruthless, after which Suki's "true colours" show in part of a revenge plan for Jags crossing her. Vinny attacks Martin Fowler, and as Jags is around, he gets blood on his jeans. When Jags tells his family about his relationship with Habiba, Suki appears to be supportive. However, moments later, a "seething" Suki turns Jags in to the police, giving them the jeans and claiming that he attacked Martin.
Sopal got goose bumps filming the "evil" scenes and was excited by playing such a villainous character. She was shocked that her character could turn her own son in to the police and likened Suki to the Godfather. Explaining Suki's actions against her own son, Sopal said that Suki sees Jags' standing up to her as a "how dare you moment". She sees the prison set-up as a way of teaching Jags a lesson, as well as ruining his relationship with Habiba, since it feels like he is focusing on her rather than their family. Sopal also noted that in Suki's own twisted way, she sees prison as a form of protection for Jags, since she knows where he is and that he is being watched. When asked if Suki regrets her actions, Sopal said: "I don't think she likes what she has to do but she wants everyone to understand the roles they play in the family. So Jags goes along with it, he tells the police he did it and that's that. So in her mind, he learns his lesson – to do what he's told!"
Feud with the Mitchells and ruining Ash's relationship
In December 2020, Suki embarks on a feud with the Mitchell family. The storyline begins with her blackmailing Ben Mitchell over CCTV footage from her shop that incriminates him for an attack on Ian Beale. She demands £10,000 to keep silent. Once Ben's father Phil Mitchell learns of her blackmailing, he arrives at her pest control business office with a bat, destroying property and threatening to hit Suki. However, Suki continues to anger the Mitchells and receives a warning from Phil to stop meddling. Digital Spy noted that due to her "interfering ways", she would be likely to not listen, while the Metro wrote that a war between the Panesars and the Mitchells would ensue.After a bad day, Suki finds Peter Beale's wallet in her house, left over from a party. He returns to collect it and Suki pulls out a condom from his wallet, flirting with him. The two have sex, despite Peter being attracted to her daughter, Ash. Ash and Peter eventually begin a relationship, and as she did with Jags and Habiba, Suki plots to ruin them. Sopal said: "in typical Suki style she wants all her children for herself". Suki feels that Ash should be focusing on her nursing career and her family rather than a relationship. She soon uses the hook-up she had with Peter to impact their relationship. Sopal remarked: "she is the destroyer. She likes to destroy things. She can't help herself, she's that kind of character. There's something in her that needs to be at the focus of controversy and also it's a way of keeping some control over her kids."
Suki is further enraged at Ash and Peter's relationship when Ash gets suspended from her nursing job due to administering Peter pain medication whilst hungover and off-shift. As she has tried to cultivate a family where they can all confide in each other and sort out issues together, she is mad when Ash confides in Peter over her. Sopal said what "burned Suki" was Ash confiding in the person who caused the suspension over her own mother. She takes it on herself to go into Ash's work and threaten her boss, which causes further upset between Suki and Ash.