Emmerdale actor responds to co-star's shock departure from show
Emmerdale spoilers follow from Thursday's episode (July 27).
Emmerdale star Chris Bisson has spoken about Bhasker Patel's departure from the show after Thursday's shocking episode.
Chris's character Jai Sharma is about to have his whole world turned upside-down, as he discovers that his adoptive dad Rishi Sharma has passed away.
The ITV soap's latest episode ended with a tragic storyline twist, as Rishi's body was seen at the bottom of the stairs at his home. Bhasker has left the show after 12 years playing Rishi.
An oblivious Jai was celebrating at his wedding reception at The Woolpack, but Friday's edition of Emmerdale will see him left devastated when he finds Rishi's body.
Related: Emmerdale confirms shock exit after latest episode
Speaking about the upcoming scenes, Chris explained: "That was two days of filming with a 'dead Bhasker' on top of me as I cried my eyes out.
"It was difficult and they were long emotional days – I felt wiped out by the end of filming. But I tried to give it my all. We try to get inside the heads of the characters. The audience wants to see and understand the characters' pain and that is what we as actors try to portray.
"It's like when they say about taking your work home with you. If you have had a long emotional day of scenes when you've been upset all day, you don't just switch off when they shout 'cut'. It takes a little bit of time to acclimatise – come back down and get your head straightened back to normality. You need a bit of headspace after a day like that."
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On losing Bhasker from the show, Chris continued: "It does feel very strange without him. Every time I walk past what was his dressing room I think about popping my head in to see how he's doing. So it is strange when he isn't there.
"12 years is a long time. And over the years we've had some great stories and have had a lot of fun too. Bhasker and I got on really well personally so that makes a big difference and the loss even greater – we all miss him in the building."
Rishi's death aired just as Jai had decided that it was time to make peace with his dad following recent rows.
The pair had fallen out following the revelation that Rishi adopted Jai when he was a baby. However, Rishi made things right in Thursday's episode by finally confirming that his younger brother Amit is Jai's biological father.
Related: 10 huge Emmerdale spoilers for next week
Chris said: "Jai's speech at the wedding reception was really about his dad and how he wanted things to be right – how life is too short and how we should all make the most of it and enjoy what we have. So the next day of course he's going to be very, very upset on discovering his father. Not just the sadness of losing his dad but the circumstances. Because they hadn't had a chance to resolve things.
"I think it's going to make things harder for Jai. He will ruminate on it. It's not something that just disappears and we do come back to this regret in future scripts. We reflect on the state of their relationship at the time of his passing.
"I suppose it would be nice if somebody could watch this story and take something away from it – maybe resolve a difference that they have, before it's too late. It would be nice to think the show could have a positive effect. Life really is too short."
Check out more of our Emmerdale coverage:
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- Emmerdale's Gabby Thomas tries to kiss Billy Fletcher
- Emmerdale star Nicola Wheeler reveals how she changed Nicola King role
- Emmerdale star Liam Fox sparks Dan Spencer exit rumours
- Emmerdale's Samantha Giles tipped for exit as Bernice Blackstock
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
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