Zainab Masood

Infobox EastEnders character 2


character_name = Zainab Masood
actor_name =Nina Wadia
creator =Diederick Santer
years = 2007—
first = 16 July 2007
last =
classification=Present; regular
status =Married
home = 41 Albert Square
occupation = Post Office owner
husband= Masood Ahmed
sons = Syed Masood Tamwar Masood
daughters = Shabnam Masood

Zainab "Zee" Masood is a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera "EastEnders". She is played by comedienne Nina Wadia." [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a58015/goodness-gracious-me-actress-joins-eastenders.html 'Goodness Gracious Me' actress joins 'EastEnders'] ", "Digital Spy". URL last accessed 2007-05-20.] She made her first appearance on 16 July 2007.

Character creation

Background

Zainab Masood was one of several Asian characters introduced in 2007 by the executive producer of "EastEnders", Diederick Santer." [http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1628 New Asian family for Eastenders] ", "www.asiansinmedia.org". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.] 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 and Tamwar Masood (Zainab's husband, daughter and son), have since joined the programme. The Masoods 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. [" [http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/3560 Unrealistic’ Ferreira family dismissed by Asian viewers] ", "The Stage". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.] [" [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a16691/eastender-accuses-bbc-of-discrimination.html Unrealistic’ EastEnder accuses BBC of discrimination] ", "Digital Spy". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.]

The introduction of more ethnic minority characters is part of producer Diederick Santer's plan to "diversify", to make "EastEnders" "feel more 21st century". [" [http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,,2185728,00.html The art of storytelling] ", "The Guardian". URL last accessed on 2007-03-27.] 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". [" [http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20020421/ai_n12842465 EastEnders hasn't got enough black and Asian actors] ", "Sunday Mirror". URL last accessed on 2007-03-27.] The expansion of minority representation in "EastEnders" provides "more opportunities for audience identification with its characters, hence a wider appeal." [" [http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/E/htmlE/eastenders/eastenders.htm EastEnders] ", "www.museum.tv". URL last accessed on 2007-03-27.] 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." [" [http://web.archive.org/web/20060412075647/http://www.cre.gov.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-0hgnew06m.RefLocID-0hg00900c008.Lang-EN.htm Coronation Street and EastEnders battle it out for coveted CRE Race In the Media Award] ", "cre.gov.uk". URL last accessed on 2007-03-27.]

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. [" [http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters_cast/cast/cast_nina_w.shtml Nina Wadia] ", "BBC". URL last accessed on 2007-03-27.] 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…" [http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/soaps/article245562.ece This week's soap gossip ] ", "The Sun". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.] 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."" [http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Himesh-17-joins-EastEnders.3380548.jp Himesh, 17, joins EastEnders] ", "www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.] "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"." [http://www.bbc.co.uk/eastenders/characters_cast/characters/character_zainab_m.shtml Zainab Masood] ", "BBC". URL last accessed on 2007-03-27.] 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." Actress Nina 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!"" [http://www.asiansinmedia.org/news/article.php/television/1691 Two new characters join Eastenders Asian family] ", "www.asiansinmedia.org". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.]

torylines

Zainab is the owner of a chain of Post Offices, including the Walford branch, which she was forced to run after her manager, Alan, quit. Zainab is business-oriented, direct and strict. She and her post office employee, Denise Wicks, clashed immediately. Zainab planned to replace Denise with her daughter Shabnam, and after a series of rows, Denise resigned. Denise's husband, Kevin, encouraged her to reconcile with Zainab to get her job back. However, a dinner party between the Masoods and Wickses ended in disaster. Denise responded with fury following a tactless comment from Zainab and a heated argument ensued. As a parting shot, Zainab revealed she and her husband had purchased 41 Albert Square, the very house Kevin and Denise had expressed interest in buying several months earlier. Denise and Zainab have since made up after Denise comforted Shabnam following Minty Peterson's suspected heart attack and told Shabnam to go home while she ran the post office, Zainab then gave Denise her job back and the two of them became friends.

In January 2008 Zainab's husband, Masood was called away to Pakistan to look after his sick father. It quickly emerged that the Post Office had huge debts. Zainab initially tried to keep this from her family, but eventually Tamwar and then Shabnam learnt of the family business troubles. Shabnam had been planning to go on a round-the-world trip but offered her holiday savings to her mother intead. Zainab refused the money but told Shabnam never to lie to her about her plans again.

In February 2008, Shabnam caused a flood in the Masood family home by leaving the bath running. The Miller's offered the Masood family a place to stay while the electrician sorted out the flooded home, but Zainab was so rude and nasty to her daughter that Mickey Miller told her to leave. Zainab had to spend the night sleeping on the floor of the Post Office.

On March 17 2008, Zainab announced that a son of an old friend of hers, Jalil Iqbal, was coming to stay (she hoped to set him up with her daughter Shabnam). Shabnam wasn't pleased to begin with because she remembered him as being a geek. Upon his arrival, Shabnam decided to think otherwise. Zainab organised a meal for the two of them so that they could become closer but that was until Jalil had a phone call from his girlfriend which left Shabnam and Zainab annoyed (though Zainab saw a picture of her and said she was ugly, and that her make-up looked like it had been done by Edward Scissorhands). Later during a conversation with the Masood family, he said that he thought modern Muslim women like Shabnam provided "great entertainment" but were not marriage material. Zainab was, in her own words, offended at his "arrogance and chauvinism" and she sent him away.

On 15 May 2008 Zainab's brother-in-law Inzamam Ahmed visited the Masoods to see how they were coping without his brother. He was very critical of the family, suggesting that Tamwar should be attending Mosque more often, that family standards were slipping, that Zainab had gained weight and that Shabnam should be married at her age. Shabnam became very annoyed but Zainab begged her to keep up pretences to prevent conflict. However, as the Inzamam was leaving the house, Bianca Jackson removed a rug from the wall which was covering rude graffiti about Shabnam. Angry and disgusted. Inzamam left speedily in the car, after saying that Zainab had bought nothing but shame into the family. Later after Shabnam threatened to rebel against her family traditions Zainab revealed to her that a "friend" nearly died in a house fire in Pakistan. When Shabnam assumed this was an accident, Zainab told her it was not. It appears that the "friends" kitchen was set on fire because she brought shame on her family by falling in love with another man and having an affair, apparently the "friend" loved to cook.

Despite Inzamam's anger, a few days later Zainab went to him asking for a loan to help pay her rising family debts. Inzamam agreed - in exchange for sex, but Zainab refused, disgusted. On 20 May Zainab's husband Masood returned from Pakistan immediately finding out about the families debt despite her initial attempts to hide it from him.

On June 19, the explosion at the Millers' brought back old memories about the fire in Pakistan. Masood questioned why she hadn't told her children the full story, but, when Shabnam asked whether she was the one who was involved she brushed it off and said not to talk about it.

External links

*EEcharlink|zainab_m

References