When long-running character Rishi Sharma abruptly passed just as his son Jai married Laurel Thomas, Emmerdale viewers were devastated.
Actor Bhasker Patel of Emmerdale has described the moment he was informed by ITV executives that his character Rishi Sharma would die.
Along with his on-screen son Jai Sharma (played by Chris Bisson), the soap opera actor appeared on Lorraine and discussed his shocking departure.
Christine Lampard, the replacement host, questioned Bhasker about how he learned the position he had played for 12 years was being killed off.
He responded, mentioning that he had been acting since the 1980s, “Getting a job like this [Emmerdale], it’s like a godsend.
“When the producer called and told me, ‘Ah, we’re going to need to talk to you and we’re killing you off because we want a big tale and this is going to be a big surprise,’ I knew something big was about to happen.
Although he felt a part of ITV, the 67-year-old admitted that during his tenure on the serial, his managers let him to do other performing work and that he had many other acting engagements in London.
“When the producers said we were going to kill you off, I was like, ‘Ok, that part of my life with this guy is over and I’m going to move on.'”
On Thursday night, surprising events took place during Jai and Laurel Thomas’ (Charlotte Bellamy) wedding.
Viewers could see Rishi at the bottom of the stairs as he was unresponsive because he had not arrived at the wedding.
His untimely passing occurs at a trying moment in Rishi and Jai’s relationship after it was discovered that his uncle was his biological father instead of him.
Before Rishi’s passing, the two didn’t get along very well, and actor Chris admitted as much to Christine: “There’s loads of remorse and things going on right now.
He needs to accept that his relationship with his father was strained before he passed away.
In the sneak peek for Friday night’s show, fans saw the scene in which Jai finds his father’s corpse.
The performers admitted that Bhasker had to pretend to be dead for two days while they were filming when Christine became upset by the incredibly depressing moments.
The 67-year-old joked that it was an issue that he had been told not to breathe during crucial shots.
Chris said, “It was really funny! “Bhasker has moved, so we must move once more.”
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