BBC soap Eastenders is introducing another Asian character to its storylines by introducing actress Preeya Kalidas in coming weeks.

She will play Amira, the girlfriend of the Masood family’s eldest son, Syed.

Syed himself was introduced to the press just a few weeks ago and will appear in Eastenders from May. He will play the eldest son of Nina Wadia and Nitin Ganatra.

Preeya Kalidas (pictured) said in a statement: “I can’t wait for this next exciting adventure – to be part of a much loved and respected TV show. My family have watched it for years.”

She has starred most notably in Bend it Like Beckham. More recently Ms Kalidas joined the cast of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the West end. She also played a lead role in the West end play Bombay Dreams for its first season.

Eastenders executive producer Diederick Santer said: “Preeya is a talented and gorgeous actress, and I can’t wait to see what happens when Amira comes on the scene.”

A source told the press that her character was meant to be somewhat controversial: “She’s very high maintenance and thinks she is quite the socialite. Saeed’s mum Zainab just wants to find out if she’s good enough for his son.”

The source added: “She’s spoilt and snobbish. But underneath she is a lonely and insecure girl.”