EastEnders reveals worrying Nugget incident as Ravi takes drastic action

EastEnders star Aaron Thiara has spoken about the emotional storyline involving Ravi Gulati, which has seen his family intervene as the beloved character struggles with his mental health.

In the wake of his participation in the criminal operation last year, Ravi has become overwhelmed with trauma, and has occasionally posed a danger to his immediate family due to his struggles.

Earlier this week on the BBC soap, Suki and Priya took matters into their own hands by recommending specialist care, and this need was heightened as Ravi frightened his partner after having a nightmare.

“He feels powerless and believes he’s unable to keep his family safe,” explains Thiara, who plays Ravi. “He’s not aware of what’s happening while he’s asleep – they are frightening both for him and for those around him.”

In addition to the strain he’s placed on Priya, Ravi’s relationship with his son, Nugget, has become difficult. The youngster has been struggling after he was filmed while having a seizure, and he confronted Will Mitchell over the matter earlier this week.

This arc will develop further in the upcoming week, as Nugget runs off after being cruelly mocked over the video again. His loved ones can’t find him, which leads Ravi to spiral further and suggest the family stay inside their home for the foreseeable future.

“His worries around his family’s safety have been steadily intensifying, and this news sends him into panic mode,” explains Thiara. “He’s convinced home is the only place where he can protect them from the outside world.

“He genuinely believes he’s doing the right thing. He’s created his own version of normality where his fears are driving his need for control to allow him to protect his family, and from his perspective, nothing feels out of place.

“That’s what makes it so heartbreaking – he has spiralled so far that he can no longer recognise how unwell he is. The disconnect places enormous strain on Priya and the kids. Meanwhile, from Ravi’s point of view, he’s simply acting out of love.”

While Ravi believes he’s doing the best for his family, his latest move will, perhaps understandably, worry them even more. Noting his character’s turmoil, Thiara notes that the situation provides little ground for mutual understanding within the family unit.

“Not even Ravi can truly untangle what he’s going through,” says the actor. “It’s become too overwhelming and confusing for anyone to fully understand. How can he expect his family to understand what he’s experiencing when he doesn’t understand it himself?

“Especially when people are struggling, they often disguise how they’re really feeling inside. That’s one of the powerful things EastEnders does with issue‑led storylines like this – they explore the vast complexities.”

Despite the nature of the storyline, the actor shared nothing but praise for his co-stars as he likened the on-set bond to a “special gift”, with the star expressing hope that the plot will “resonate” with viewers.

Thiara also wished that it could redeem Ravi’s image somewhat, noting: “I hope the audience can simply see a human being in crisis. Some may hold his history against him, but I hope people will see the person underneath it all.”