Phaldut Sharma

Phaldut "Paul" Sharma is a Welsh actor and dancer. He is perhaps best known for his small role in the 2013 science fiction movie Gravity, and is also known for playing Achmed in Gavin & Stacey and AJ Ahmed in EastEnders.

Early life

Sharma was born in the UK to Guyanese Hindu parents, whose ancestors came from Uttar Pradesh.^[1][2][3]

Career

Television and film

Sharma played Vinnay Ramdas in Casualty and then Damon Lynch in 2011,^[4] Rajiv in comedy-drama Roger Roger and Paul in Meet the Magoons.^[5] He has also appeared in episodes of Life on Mars, Dalziel and Pascoe and the BBC daytime series Doctors. also appeared in one episode of Ultimate Force Series 4 Episode 3 "the dividing line".

Sharma was in the first episode of the UK comedy The Office, playing Sanj, and was Stacey Shipman's (Joanna Page) ex-fiancé, Achmed, in Gavin & Stacey. In 2009, Sharma appeared as Hindu nationalist Harish Dhillon in an episode of Spooks. In 2012, Sharma was cast in EastEnders as Masood Ahmed's (Nitin Ganatra) brother AJ, a regular character.^[6] He left the soap opera in 2014.^[7] He also appeared in episode six of Hunted.

In 2013, Sharma garnered notable attention from South Asian outlets for a small role in the 2013 science fiction move Gravity, where he chose to sing a short portion of the popular Hindi song Mera Joota Hai Japani.^[8][3][2]

In 2015, Sharma released 'I Gotta Be Me' - a ten-part web comedy in which he plays Paul Shah - a semi-autobiographical character based on his experience as a Sammy Davis Junior tribute act.^[9] He also appeared as Leigh in episodes four and five of Cucumber. In 2019, he appeared as Tom, the father of Sophie who befriends the titular character in season 1 of Hanna.

In 2021, Sharma appeared as DCI Ram Sidhu in the fourth series of ITV drama Unforgotten.^[10] In 2023 he filmed the BBC television feature Men Up, about the first clinical trials for the drug Viagra that took place in Swansea in 1994.^[11] He plays Peetham "Pete" Shah.^[12]

Stage

Sharma played Sammy Davis Jr in the West End production of Rat Pack Confidential in 2003.^[13]

From September to October 2010, he appeared in Factory Theatre Company's Boiling Frogs at Southwark Playhouse, London.^[14][15]