Ray Panthaki

His other films include Convenience (2013). He was elected to the BAFTA Film Committee in 2024.

• Name — Ray Panthaki • Born — 20 January 1979 • Birthplace — London, England • Occupation — * Actor • screenwriter • director • film producer • Years Active — 1999–present

Panthaki was born in London to second-generation Indian parents. His parents belong to India's Parsi minority community.

Panthaki appeared in the 1999 anthology Tube Tales and made his feature film debut as Hassan B in Sacha Baron Cohen's 2002 comedy Ali G Indahouse. This was followed by roles in the films 28 Days Later, Provoked and the 2006 film Kidulthood which he also produced. In 2006, Panthaki was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Play at the TMA Theatre Awards for his role in Gladiator Games. Later that year, he set up the London-based production company Urban Way. Panthaki made his West End theatrical debut in July 2008 in the play In My Name at the Trafalgar Studios. He has performed twice at the Royal Court Theatre in London in Where Do We Live by Christopher Shinn and The Westbridge by Rachel De-Lehay. He went on to play a leading role in Tanika Gupta's The Empress for the Royal Shakespeare Company directed by Emma Rice. He starred in the films It's a Wonderful Afterlife (2010) and Interview with a Hitman (2012). In 2013, Panthaki's directorial debut Life Sentence, a film which he also wrote, won Best UK Short at the East End Film Festival 2013. In 2013, Panthaki produced and starred in the comedy film Convenience starring alongside Vicky McClure and Adeel Akhtar. The film's director Keri Collins won Best Breakthrough at the 2014 BAFTA Cymru for his work on the film. In 2014, he was announced as one of 18 BAFTA Breakthrough Brits a celebration of Britain's stars of tomorrow alongside fellow actors Stacy Martin, Katie Leung and Callum Turner. In 2016, Panthaki was cast as DCI Rav Sangha in Hans Rosenfeldt's Nordic noir detective series Marcella. In 2017, it was announced that Panthaki had signed on to Wash Westmoreland's Colette, a biopic about the French novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, to play real-life French playwright Pierre Veber. Panthaki attended the world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival alongside co-stars Keira Knightley and Dominic West, where the film received positive reviews. The following year, he portrayed journalist Kamal Ahmed in the film Official Secrets. In 2020, Panthaki appeared in the Netflix series Away, alongside Hilary Swank, as Group Captain Ram Arya, second in command on a mission to Mars. At the British Independent Film Awards 2021, Panthaki was nominated for the BIFA for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Freeman in Boiling Point alongside Stephen Graham. Panthaki is set to direct In Starland.

Key • Denotes works that have not yet been released

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1998 — The Bill — Charlie — Episode: "Taking Sides" • 2000 — Losing It — Ray — Television film • 2001 — The Armando Iannucci Shows — Episode: "Communication" • My Family — Gary — Episode: "Trust Never Sleeps" • 2002 — Blood Strangers — Zafar Wahid — Television film • Spooks — Chalak Ahmed — Episode: "One Last Dance"; uncredited • 2003 — Rehab — Naz — Television film • Doctors — Duncan Marks — Episode: "Donations" • 2003–2005 — EastEnders — Ronny — 158 episodes • 2005 — Blessed — Lance — 8 episodes • 2006 — Strictly Confidential — Ali — Series 1 Episode 3 • 2013 — Life of Crime — DS Nabeel Kothari — Episode: "1997" • 2014 — DCI Banks — Jeff Kitson — Episodes: "Bad Boy Parts 1 & 2" • The Wrong Mans — Khalil — 2 episodes • 2015 — Crackanory — Nasim — 1 episode • 2016–2020 — Marcella — DI/DCI Rav Sangha — 24 episodes • 2020 — Gangs of London — Jevan Kapadia — 8 episodes • Away — Ram Arya — 10 episodes • 2022 — The Serpent Queen — Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine — 13 episodes • 2023 — Boiling Point — Freeman

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2020 — Dreams — Dreams architect