The Masoods will be at the centre of a dramatic stunt on EastEnders next month when the roof of the family's Argee Bhajee restaurant collapses, Digital Spy can confirm.
In a surprise storyline twist, disaster strikes on the night of Tamwar's (Himesh Patel) engagement party as he happily celebrates his future with fiancée Afia Khan (Meryl Fernandes).
Exact details of what happens next are currently being kept under wraps, although it is understood that Syed Masood (Marc Elliott) will be one character who sustains injuries as the joyful occasion descends into chaos.
A Walford source told DS: "These dramatic scenes were filmed a couple of weeks ago and will air in early April, providing some big drama for the Masoods on what should have been a happy day for Tamwar.
"Despite the ill-feeling between him and his parents, Syed is in the building when the disastrous party takes place. But what the accident could mean for the family feud remains to be seen."
Builder Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth) completed last-minute repair work on the Argee Bhajee's roof in January, rescuing the Masoods' plans for the restaurant's grand re-opening.
At the time, Greg warned that new roof beams would be needed in the long-term - but the family have since been plagued by financial difficulties, leaving them unable to spend any more money on the building's restoration.
The plot twist is likely to lead to Syed and his partner Christian Clarke sharing more screen time with the Masoods as Christian's portrayer John Partridge recently told DS that old problems and hostilities between the family would start to be revisited.
Speaking in January, Partridge said: "I think those issues will start to be resolved. We may not have the outcome that people want and it may not come about in the way that people think, but some of those issues will be addressed."
Meanwhile, Max Branning (Jake Wood) and his daughter Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) are due to be at the centre of a separate accident in the coming weeks as they were recently spotted filming a car crash stunt.
Here's a first look at the dramatic disaster which hits the Masood family on EastEnders next month as the roof of their Argee Bhajee restaurant collapses.
As Soapboards revealed earlier this month, the shock accident occurs on the night of Tamwar and Afia's engagement party, throwing the event into chaos and placing Syed's life in jeopardy.
Before the celebrations kick off, Greg tries to fix some damage at the restaurant but has to inform Masood that the extension is dangerous and he should close the Argee Bhajee until it has been properly repaired. However, Masood foolishly decides to ignore the builder's advice.
Once the party gets under way, Syed arrives to support his brother with Christian in tow. However, Masood and Zainab are horrified and order the couple to leave as they are not welcome.
An argument then ensues but the rowing is interrupted as the ceiling of the restaurant suddenly gives way, burying the guests in a cloud of dust and debris. Syed, meanwhile, is trapped by a large piece of plasterboard.
Just when things look like they can't get any worse, the roof beam above Syed comes crashing down on top of him. Will he survive?
Speaking of the drama in store, a Walford insider said: "Determined to save face and continue with the party, Masood goes against all the advice Greg gives him. However this proves to be a perilous decision when the roof collapses, leaving eldest son Syed buried in the rubble.
"Although they are estranged, Masood and Zainab are terribly worried about their son. Things look like they are in a pretty bad way - can Syed be saved?"
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EastEnders star Himesh Patel has admitted that his character Tamwar Masood is shocked and "disgusted" by his family's reaction to Syed's perilous situation in the Argee Bhajee roof collapse.
As first revealed earlier this month, Syed will be injured and require emergency treatment when the roof of the restaurant caves in at Tamwar and Afia's engagement party next week. He turns up to the bash with his partner Christian after some mischievous interference from Afia's father Yusef leads him to believe that they are invited.
Following the accident, Syed's parents Zainab and Masood see that he is injured but continue to snub their son - still adamant that he is no longer part of the family due to his relationship with Christian.
Speaking to Inside Soap about the roof collapse scenes, Patel explained: "Tamwar needs to make sure Afia's okay, but Syed is the one who's in real trouble.
"Tamwar wants to know what he can do to help his brother. He looks to his parents for guidance, but they're both just stood there doing nothing. He's completely disgusted."
He added: "Tamwar's so disappointed with his parents. Syed could be dying, yet neither of them does anything. Tamwar loses all respect for Zainab and Masood at that point."
Syed is rushed to hospital following the roof disaster, leaving Christian and the rest of his loved ones to wonder whether he will pull through.
DS
Old tensions and unresolved issues between the Masood family return to the forefront of EastEnders next week as Tamwar and Afia's engagement party at the Argee Bhajee ends in disaster. After Yusef deceives Syed by telling him that his parents want him to be at the celebration, tempers become frayed when he and his partner Christian turn up unexpectedly. However, in a dramatic turn of events, the family's latest row is interrupted as the restaurant's roof suddenly caves in, leaving Syed in serious danger. Keeping up the family estrangement, Zainab makes the heart-wrenching decision to ignore her son's perilous situation, but has she really cut him off for good? Nina Wadia, who plays Zainab, recently chatted to Digital Spy about the emotional storyline.
How is Zainab feeling as Tamwar and Afia's engagement party approaches?
"She's very conflicted. It's a huge problem for her because obviously Yusef is Afia's father, so he's involved. I don't think she'd have a problem with Afia if she didn't happen to be the daughter of her ex-husband, but because that is the case, she's not happy with the situation. I think she does actually have a warm spot for Afia, though, and I think she also recognises a lot of herself in her - she likes her. So Zainab definitely has mixed feelings."
For the most part, Zainab has stopped short of directly opposing Tamwar and Afia's relationship. Do you think that's because she's learned lessons from her experience with Syed?
"Yes, it's exactly that reason. You've hit the nail on the head and that's exactly why. She doesn't want to lose another son."
In a twist, Tamwar has already married Afia before the engagement party. How do you think Zainab would react if she found out?
"I think all hell would break loose! It would actually break her heart more than anything else, because she would feel betrayed again. That seems to be a theme for the Masood family - a sense of betrayal and a sense of pride."
How does Zainab feel when Christian and Syed arrive at the engagement party?
"She's pretty horrified! I think the last thing she wants is for Syed to stand up to her in front of the entire community and say, 'It's okay for me to be here because I'm a part of this family'. Deep down, Zainab would probably love for that to be true, and she probably does believe that is true. But at that moment, being shown up in front of the community and in front of her friends, she is not going to back down. She's way too strong-minded for that."
What was it like to film the dramatic Argee Bhajee roof collapse scenes?
"It was great fun, actually! It wasn't meant to be, but it was. Obviously there was a stunt and it's always exciting when there's a stunt involved, so it was quite incredible to film. I can't wait to see what it actually looks like on screen. We had bits of dust falling on people, which the audience will be able to see but the characters don't notice at first. And then, of course, there's the actual collapse. They had a stunt guy for Marc, so I have lots of pictures of the two Marcs, which makes me laugh!"
Did it take a long time to film the stunt scenes?
"Oh yes, there was a rehearsal without doing the actual stunt - two or three in fact. There's also a little safety talk that you get beforehand. Sometimes you think it can be a bit excessive when it comes to the safety aspect, but you don't ever want it to be the other way around, so I wasn't complaining!"
Is Zainab out of harm's way when the roof collapses or is she in danger?
"She's definitely in danger - she gets a bit of a knock, and there's dust all over her head too. Pretty much everyone comes out with stuff all over them. Also, Zainab is right there watching when the roof beam collapses down on to Syed."
How does Zainab feel when she sees that Syed is injured?
"It's very difficult. For me as an actress and a real mother it was very hard not to go up to my pretend son who's hurt. But you have to stay true to the story and the writers have decided that, in that case, she wouldn't. So that was hard - when you see someone who you really love hurt in that way, you want to be right by their side."
Have you missed sharing screen time with Marc Elliott?
"Oh gosh, absolutely! More than anything else, we just have such a laugh on set, so I miss him more for that reason than anything else. However, the one good thing about not working with him is that I don't end up crying as much, because we always have emotional scenes and Marc has the ability to really push those buttons."
Is there any chance the roof collapse could ultimately prove to be a turning point for the family feud?
"All I know at the moment is that there's a lot of tension and there's a lot of Zainab wanting things to be okay. Also, Christian says a few words to her that hit home - and Johnny Partridge is fantastic at that, he's got a real ability to make someone listen to him. So Zainab certainly has a few words said at her, and that makes her wake up to the fact that what she is doing is wrong. But whether or not they'll eventually get back together, even we don't know!"
What else can you tell us about what's ahead for the Masoods?
"What we've got over the next six weeks, the writers have done superbly. It's a real emotional rollercoaster. I mean, we even made the cameramen cry and that really says something, because they've seen a lot of things on this show! So there is stuff coming up that is particularly heart-wrenching and I feel very, very lucky to be part of that whole storyline."
The roof collapse could have been prevented as Masood ignores a warning from Greg that the restaurant is not safe. How does Zainab react when she finds out?
"Well, Zainab and Masood are in a very bad place right now because of Yusef and his interference. So we'll see them argue about it - that seems to be the default setting for Zainab and Masood! But I do love doing those scenes with Nitin Ganatra, because it means that I don't take any angst home with my real husband!"
Have you been enjoying the intriguing storyline with Zainab, Yusef and the rest of the Masoods?
"Yes, very much so. I'd actually gone up and spoken to Bryan about Ace Bhatti, who plays Yusef, because I thought that he definitely had the quality that Yusef would need - which is a very ambiguous but charming quality! Ace is mesmerising to work with and you really go with it when you're filming a scene with him. It's the same as when I'm filming a scene with Nitin, as Nitin and I seem to have a shorthand when we act together - we just seem to know what the other person is going to do and it feels very natural. So it's nice that Ace has that quality with me as well, even though it's a very dark quality in his case!"
Do you think Yusef is an out-and-out villain, or is it more complex than that?
"Oh, I think it's always more complex than that. I think that's the best thing about the Masoods - the writers give us layers, they really, really do. There's never just one thing happening in their lives - there's usually three or four things going on in their heads which is what makes them watchable. You can really get into what they're thinking and what they're feeling. With regard to Yusef, there's a constant joke on set where people say to Ace, 'Oh we love your character, he's so evil!' and Ace turns around and says, 'But I'm playing a nice guy!'"
Do you think Yusef is telling the truth about what happened on the night that his family tried to kill Zainab?
"Well, Zainab is believing it now. At first she didn't, but there's been so many things going on and Denise is also trying to convince her that Yusef is telling the truth and he actually is a good person. So I think Zainab is falling for it. Whether or not he is actually telling the truth, I don't have a clue!"
Will we see Zainab and Denise's friendship explored more this year?
"I hope so - I really hope so. I love working with Diane Parish and she's got a lovely quality to her work. We're friends in real life too, so there is a warmth there that comes across in our scenes. I've been really, incredibly lucky with the people that I've worked with here - they're all incredibly friendly and we actually like spending time together, whether we're working together or not."
We've heard that it's going to be a big year for the Masoods in general, so are you excited about what's coming up?
"Oh gosh, yes! I'm the first one to run to the door when the mail comes in, and I hear that the scripts have arrived. They make a good thud and I can't wait to rip them open. I've actually got four in my car now which I can't wait to get home and read. It's nice when it's our storyline - the thing is, it's that kind of show. Sometimes it's your story, and sometimes it's not. When it is your turn, you do feel particularly excited about it!"
EastEnders' Zainab Masood is set to have a showdown with Phil Mitchell after discovering he has lent money to her husband in.
The bossy matriarch (Nina Wadia) is livid when she finds Masood Ahmed (Nitrin Ganatra) borrowed cash from their neighbour to refurbish their family restaurant Argee Bhajee - and things go from bad to worse when he can't keep up with repayments now the building's roof has collapsed and there is no insurance provision to cover the costs.
A source said: "Zainab had no idea that Masood had taken a loan from Phil. As everyone knows, she doesn't like secrets, does she? But that's not all, because while the family's in hock to Phil, Masood is already behind in making his repayments.
"Zainab's furious that her husband got into this mess without telling her, but reckons she can sort it out by clearing the debt herself - until she finds out how much they actually owe Phil, of course."
Meanwhile, a desperate Masood has been refused an extension from the Walford hardman and is being cornered by Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) who wants to buy a share in their other business Masala Queen in return for supposedly hurting his wrist in the accident.
A clueless Zainab makes things worse when she decides to give Phil (Steve McFadden) a piece of her mind, only to find he was going to give them more money after all.
The source said: "She goes to the arches all guns blazing, but is stopped in her tracks when Phil tells her how much is outstanding on the loan.
"As ever Zainab doesn't mince her words - but Phil gets the upper hand when he reveals that he's actually written Masood a cheque for a further £2,000. He proceeds to rip it up in front of her, so she and her family are back to square one."
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