EastEnders' Sanjay star Deepak Verma looks totally different 26 years after soap

Deepak Verma was a familiar face to millions of EastEnders fans as market trader Sanjay Kapoor before he left the soap in 1998 and is now completely unrecognisable

Sanjay, the charming and well-liked market trader from EastEnders, was known for his fondness for women and a slight gambling problem. The character was brought to life by actor Deepak Verma, who made his debut in Albert Square alongside his heavily pregnant wife Gita (played by Shobu Kapoor) in February 1993, after convincing a friend to lend him a spot in the market for his clothing stall, reports OK!.

However, things weren't rosy between Sanjay and Gita Kapoor they had been living apart since Sanjay's previous business venture collapsed. Even though they eventually found a place to live together, it wasn't before Sanjay had gambled away their deposit money for an apartment. Shortly thereafter, their daughter Sharmilla was born. But instead of bringing them closer, this joyous event drove Sanjay and Gita further apart, as Gita battled post-natal depression and took some time off to stay with family.

So, when Gita came back unexpectedly and discovered Sanjay in bed with her haughty sister Meena, it marked the start of five years of dramatic twists and turns for the Walford family, including a false accusation of Gita's murder against Sanjay.

For Deepak, landing a role in EastEnders at the age of 24 was his first significant TV gig, following a minor part in the Scottish detective series Taggart in 1992. Deepak branched out with an ambition in showbiz, launching his own company, Pukkanasha Films, aiming to spice up the movie game with innovative and eclectic tales influenced by rich cultural tapestries, especially from Indian and Western experiences.

When quizzed about his leap into film production, Deepak explained: "It was the only way to take a real grasp of my career. At first it felt like it was a bit of a mysterious land. But through my existing contacts, I delved a bit deeper and found one or two people who could help."

Not one to shy away from speaking his truth, Deepak had some choice words back in 2009 for his old 'EastEnders' employers regarding their depiction of Asian folks. He slammed the show's progress, or lack thereof, and labelled the Masood family storyline as "two-dimensional and ill-conceived."

Chatting to the Evening Standard, Deepak got nostalgic about his time on set, remembering: "My character and Shobu [Kapoor's] character were the first real characters on the show that were proper [Asian] people. We didn't have accents. I just acted like a Hackney boy, like a barrow boy. We did that 15 years ago. We need to move forwards. It's going backwards."

Post-Walford life hasn't seen Deepak resting on his laurels; indeed, he's penned a collection of stage dramas and screen gems even for BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service and trod the boards in theatres across Britain.

In 2017, the talented Deepak received a tip of the cap from royalty no less when he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Birthday Honours list. The former Prince Charles handed him the award for his sterling services to the arts. Telly addicts have also had the pleasure of spotting Deepak popping up on the small screen, delivering cameos. He's graced episodes of Doctors, popped up in Holby City' and portrayed a high-flying vascular surgeon in The Good Karma Hospital.

Fast forward to 2023, and the States beckoned, clinching Deepak a role in 13 episodes of the American hit series Emergency: LA, donning the white coat as Dr Daniel Fernandez amidst the adrenaline-charged world of LA's emergency services brigade.

But what really caused jaws to drop was when Deepak popped up on BBC news in April 2020, during the height of Covid panic. There he was, strolling on an eerily quiet beach in Hastings, East Sussex, when a BBC TV news crew pounced. To describe the lockdown-induced ghost town effect, he dramatically gestured and declared, "It's all just empty, it's like The Walking Dead. All the restaurants are all closed."