Tamwar Masood

Infobox EastEnders character 2


character_name =Tamwar Masood
actor_name =Himesh Patel
years = 2007—
creator =Diederick Santer
first = 1 October 2007
last =
classification=Present; regular
home = 41 Albert Square
occupation = Student
father = Masood Ahmed
mother = Zainab Masood
brothers = Syed Masood
sisters = Shabnam Masood
uncles = Inzamam Ahmed
cousins = Jamila Inzamam
Ali Inzamam

Tamwar "Tam" Masood is a fictional character in the popular BBC soap opera "EastEnders". He is played by Himesh Patel and he made his first appearance on 1 October 2007.

Character creation

Background

Tamwar Masood was one of several Asian characters introduced in 2007 by executive producer, Diederick Santer." [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.] He was first seen in October 2007. Tamwar was the third character in the Masood family to make an appearance on-screen, joining the already established Zainab, and Shabnam (his mother and sister) who both appeared in July 2007. The core family was completed by the introduction of Tamwar's father, Masood Ahmed, a few weeks later. 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

17 year old actor, Himesh Patel, was cast in the role of Tamwar. Like the character he plays, Patel is the son of a of a postmistress and he is also a former paperboy." [http://www.huntspost.co.uk/content/hunts/news/story.aspx?brand=HPTOnline&category=News&tBrand=cambs24&tCategory=NewsHPT&itemid=WEED17%20Oct%202007%2012%3A38%3A04%3A313 Special delivery: paperboy lands EastEnders post] ", "The Hunts Post". URL last accessed 2007-10-16.] He has commented: "I was so nervous before I went for the audition - my biggest role before was in plays at school but they made us feel very welcome…I was thrilled when I learned that I had got the part… [I] have been avidly watching "EastEnders" to get up to speed with all the characters … Being in EastEnders is such a great start to my career and working with some amazing actors is fantastic. Sometimes I only get the scripts a couple of days before filming, so it can be a bit stressful learning the lines but I'm managing so far … The whole "EastEnders" 'family' has been very helpful, and I was made to feel at home from the moment I arrived." [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.]

Patel has revealed that he was already a "big fan" of the actors who play his on-screen mother and father, Nina Wadia and Nitin Ganatra: "I was a big fan of Nina and Nitin already, and suddenly to find myself working with such experienced and respected actors was like a dream come true." Steve Biggs, the director of the Cambridge-based "Young Actors Company", where Patel trained, has said "Apart from being an excellent actor, Himesh is a very likeable and down-to-earth young man, who I'm sure will prove to be an absolute hit, both on and off screen". Actress Nina Wadia, who plays Patel's screen mother, has added: "I'm looking forward to working with my on-screen son, Himesh Patel."

Character development

Himesh Patel has described his character: "Tamwar is a quiet boy who could be described as a geek but he is quite single-minded and will do what he wants". Reports claimed that Tamwar was to struggle with his sexual identity and be the first homosexual Muslim character featured in a British soap opera. This, however, was denied by the BBC. [" [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a78042/eastenders-wedding-gossip.html EastEnders wedding gossip] ", "Digital Spy". URL last accessed 2007-10-28.]

Storylines

Tamwar first appeared as a student attending a study session with his classmate, Libby Fox. Libby clearly resented his presence, which she later revealed was because Tamwar achieved higher grades than her. The initial competitiveness between Tamwar and Libby has since been superceded by both pupils' mothers, Zainab Masood and Denise Wicks, who boast to each other about their children's academic achievements. Tamwar delighted his mother with A* grades during his AS Level exams, trumping Libby who obtained As. This led both Zainab and Denise to decalre that Tamwar and Libby would be attempting to get a place at either Cambridge or Oxford University.

Tamwar used his intellect to help his parents set up their own business, "Masala Masood", an Indian take away restaurant. Tamwar unwittingly jeapordized his family's hope of running the restaurant from home, when health and saftey caught him disecting dead animal organs in the food preparation area. Masala Masood was closed down. However, the problem was solved when the Masoods decided to open up a fast food market stall. Tamwar helps his family out serving food on the stall.

Reception

In 2008, it was reported that Cambridge Univeristy wanted to shed its "elitist" image and approached the producers of Britain's three leadin soaps, "EastEnders", "Coronation Street" and "Emmerdale", to include it in their storylines." [http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2008-09-02-cambridge_N.htm Cambridge University wants to be on soaps, shed elitist image] ", "USA Today". URL last accessed 2008-10-10.] Spokesman Greg Hayman said the idea was part of a bid to correct the perception that Cambridge was "not for young people from ordinary backgrounds. We're very keen to attract the brightest and best students regardless of their background," Hayman said Tuesday. "One of the better ways of communicating directly with potential students is to talk to them through the soaps and other programs they watch." This move followed goverment pressure for the university to become more inclusive and to target all economic backgrounds. 90% of British students attend state high schools, Oxford and a Cambridge draw only about half their student body from there. It was reported that working-class individuals view attending Oxford or Cambridge as an impossible dream, which university officials claim is unfair and they are hoping to dispel this by feauturing the Universities in working-class soaps such as "EastEnders". Hayman said there have been no firm commitments from TV producers, although one crew was planning an exploratory visit to Cambridge; however he expressed that he was happy with the plot running in "EastEnders" that showed "working-class teenagers Tamwar Masood and Libby Fox considering applying to Cambridge and Oxford, to the delight of their ambitious mothers", saying that "It's a very happy coincidence." Oxford Univerity said it had no plans to write to the soaps for inclusion but a spokesperson claims, "I did speak to somebody at "EastEnders" about our bursary scheme in case the story line was going to continue. We wanted to make sure they knew what kind of assistance might be available to someone like Libby." "EastEnders" refused to comment on whether the universities would be featured at the time, as Tamwar and Libby still had another year left at college "and it was too early to say whether the Oxford-Cambridge plot would continue."

Reporting on the University storyline, "The Guardian" noted that Libby and Tamwar applying to the universities "could be their dream storyline: clever state school kids can get a place. But it could also be their worst nightmare. Young Libby is already revealing concerns that she might not be able to afford to go to the university." The paper alleges that both universities' press offices "fired off letters to the script editors: did they know about the generous bursaries and seemingly bottomless pit of cash available to help students from low-income homes stay on their courses? Could that be mentioned?". [" [http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/mortarboard/2008/sep/02/highereducation.cambridgeuniversity Which soap stars would you send to Oxbridge?] ", "The Guardian". URL last accessed 2008-10-10.]

References

External inks

*EEcharlink|tamwar_m