Bhasker Patel was “sad” to be let go from 'Emmerdale'.
Bhasker Patel was sad to be axed from Emmerdale
The 65-year-old actor had played Rishi Sharma on the ITV1 soap set in the fictional Yorkshire for more than a decade when bosses told him via video call that his character would be killed off and admitted that he wanted to stay for longer.
He told Daily Star newspaper: “It wasn’t my choice. It was a mega surprise, to be honest.
“I was on Zoom with the producer and I said, ‘Have I done something wrong?’. But I hadn’t. They just wanted a big story and knew killing Rishi off would be a big shock for viewers.
“I was sad about it. It was a sad moment for me. I would have liked to have stayed a little bit longer.”
Bhasker - who bowed out of the show in July when his character was said to have suffered an accidental fall - also explained that viewer reactions were "very sad" because fans had "not expected" to see his character go.
He said: “People were very sad. I don’t think people expected him to go.
“They thought he would be part of Emmerdale for years to come. I read people’s reactions. It made me cry. I thought, ‘I did something right’.”
However, Bhasker has managed to stay busy since leaving the soap and went on to detail some of his upcoming projects like the West End play ‘Passing’.
Bhasker said: “I’ve been busy. I’ve done plays and I’ve done a short film. I have some cameos in other films coming up, too.”
Recently, he shared a snap from his upcoming project ‘Leviathan’ along with some of the cast and crew.
On an Instagram post, Bhasker wrote: "That’s a WRAP on #leviathancycle ... finally said bye to Nemo #character reunited with Ding Ling".
According to the show’s description: "Leviathan envisages a future very much like our present to consider possible links between borders, mental health and marine welfare. Each episode is taken from the point of view of a different character and their journey."