"I'm very touched that viewers want Shabnam back."
Rakhee Thakrar opened up on whether she would return to EastEnders as Shabnam Masood.
Rakhee joined the show in 2014 as the daughter of Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) and Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia).
She took over the role from original actress Zahra Ahmadi, who portrayed the character from 2007 to 2008.
Whilst played by Rakhee, Shabnam was involved in some high-profile storylines including her friendship with Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and her relationship with Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami).
However, her most notable storyline came when Shabnam and Kush devastatingly had a stillborn baby boy named Zaair.
The plot allowed Rakhee to showcase her acting talent to the highest degree, earning her widespread acclaim from fans and television critics alike.
Rakhee made her final appearance in the show on February 5, 2016. Shabnam departed the show when her marriage to Kush fell apart.
This was after it emerged that Kush had fathered a son named Arthur with Stacey.
A heartbroken Shabnam left with her daughter Jade Masood (Amaya Edward), whom she had with Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo).
Jade, now played by Elizabeth Green, is currently back in the show, after having had treatment for her cystic fibrosis.
She returned to her father Dean after growing tired of Shabnam’s overprotective behaviour towards her.
EastEnders has been known to thrive for foreshadowing future storylines, which has led many fans to speculate whether Rakhee could reprise her role.
Rakhee Thakrar delved into what she made of the rumours, as well as revealing if she would make a return to EastEnders.
She said: “It’s so sweet that people are talking about it and I’m very touched that viewers want Shabnam back.
“It’s weird because it was actually someone in a restaurant who told me that Jade was back, and I was like, ‘What, my daughter’s back?!’
“I was so proud of what we did on the show and to have been part of it, and the fact that people still talk about Shabnam is amazing.
“What’s nice is that even without Shabnam, this legacy of what happened with her character is continuing!”
However, Rakhee ultimately denied rumours of a comeback for the character, but recalled her EastEnders experience fondly:
“No, there’s no talk of [a return] at the moment.
“My experience on this show has been really special.
“I’m grateful for having the chance to have played Shabs. She’s a real gift.”
EastEnders is currently exploring the aftermath of its popular Christmas storyline, which saw Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) murder Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) in an attempt to save her friend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).
Meanwhile, Rakhee Thakrar was last seen in the blockbuster film Wonka (2023), in which she played Lottie Bell.
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