"She's very confident and outspoken."
Over many decades, the ITV soap Emmerdale has been a firm fixture of British television.
The show debuted in 1972 as Emmerdale Farm but shortened its name in the late 1980s.
Set in a fictional village in the Yorkshire Dales, the show has consistently included South Asian characters in its cast.
South Asians include Indian, Punjabi, Pakistani, Bengali, and Sri Lankan people.
DESIblitz invites you on a thrilling journey through the village.
We proudly showcase eight dynamic South Asian characters from Emmerdale.
Meena Jutla (Paige Sandhu)
British soaps thrive on drama which can include murders and funerals.
Meena Jutla arrived in the show in September 2020 and quickly reminded viewers why these elements are dramatic.
Over her time in the village, she terrorised several people.
She took the lives of Leanna Cavanagh (Mimi Slinger), Andrea Tate (Anna Nightingale), and Ben Tucker (Simon Lennon).
Paige’s portrayal is menacing, unhinged, and captivating, making Meena one of the most dastardly villains to appear in the show.
In April 2022, Meena’s reign of terror finally came to an end, when she was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 75 years.
For her performance as Meena, Paige won the award for ‘Best Leading Performer’ at the 2022 British Soap Awards.
Dr Manpreet Sharma (Rebecca Sarkar)
The older sister of Meena, Manpreet always felt that her sister was spoiled when they were both kids.
This created a distance between her and Meena, which was widened when Meena slept with Manpreet’s husband Dennis (Sam Barriscale).
Manpreet is introduced in Emmerdale as the partner of Rishi Sharma (Bhasker Patel).
It later emerges that Manpreet has a shopping addiction and she steals £1,000 from Rishi.
However, he forgives her and they get married, with Manpreet getting a permanent job at the doctor’s surgery.
Rebecca’s portrayal is sensitive and unique. The actress explains that Manpreet’s character arc was originally different:
“Originally, she was meant to be a bit of a gold digger and a temptress, but I’m glad they didn’t go down that route as it gave the character more longevity.”
Rishi Sharma (Bhasker Patel)
In 2011, Bhasker Patel brought Rishi Sharma into the Yorkshire Dales.
The following year, Rishi attended his son’s wedding when he married Charity Tate (Emma Atkins).
Rishi is generally kind, wanting the best for his family, but he has manipulative layers to him.
This is shown when he helps Charity scam the King family to obtain a share in their business.
After his divorce from his first wife Georgia Sharma (Trudie Goodwin), Rishi finds love again in Dr Manpreet Sharma.
Unfortunately, this relationship fizzled out in 2022.
After a huge revelation in true soap style, Rishi’s chapter came to a close when he passed away in July 2023.
Priya Kotecha (Fiona Wade)
Introduced as part of a cast shake-up in 2009, Priya was originally played by Effie Woods from September 14, 2009 to March 1, 2010.
Fiona Wade took over the role in 2011, playing Priya for the next 12 years.
Whilst played by Fiona, Priya exudes charm, charisma, and flirtation.
Almost immediately, she has a fling with Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley).
In 2012, she began a romance with David Metcalfe (Matthew Wolfenden).
Delving into Priya, Fiona opined: “She’s very confident and outspoken.
“Some of the things she comes out with, I think I wish I could say that.
“And, of course, she does love a bad boy.”
In 2023, Fiona quit the role to explore other opportunities, but not before leaving behind an indelible mark as a South Asian Emmerdale character.
Rakesh Kotecha (Pasha Bocarie)
Arranged marriages are not uncommon in the South Asian diaspora.
To reflect this, Emmerdale introduced a potential arranged match for Priya Kotecha in 2014.
This alliance came in the form of Rakesh Kotecha.
While Priya approves of the match, those around her do not trust Rakesh.
Rakesh frequently clashes with his son Kirin Kotecha (Adam Fielding) over his relationship with Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick), creating friction between the two men.
In 2016, Rakesh became desperate for money which led him to carry out an insurance scam.
He commits arson in Mill Cottage, which devastates Priya.
Still, the flame between the couple burns bright but ultimately forces Rakesh to leave the village.
After his departure, Pasha wrote on X: “Three years, wow! My thanks to the fans whose love and support always inspired me.
“It’s been a privilege.”
Jayesh Parmar (John Leary)
In November 1992, John Learly started to inhabit the world of Jayesh Parmar.
He is the brother of Sangeeta Parmar (Razia McGann).
Despite only being in Emmerdale for a year, Jayesh created a seismic and important impact on the show.
He begins a romantic relationship with Rachel Hughes (Glenda McKay).
In December 1992, Jayesh takes centre stage as he is verbally abused by a group of young people.
He then faces an attack at their hands.
Despite Sangeeta later moving to Brighton, Jayesh stays in the village to keep his relationship with Rachel safe.
However, ultimately, this doesn’t work out, leading Jayesh to depart the soap.
Racial slurs are vile when they happen and the show deserves applause for highlighting this via the character of Jayesh Parmar.
Jai Sharma (Chris Bisson)
In 2009, Chris Bisson brought the disarming Jai Sharma to life.
Although he is the son of Amit Sharma (Anil Goutam), Jai initially believes that the aforementioned Rishi Sharma is his father.
During his time on the show, Jai has made enemies, kidnapped his wife Charity Tate, and romanced Nell Fairfax (Scarlett Archer).
He also had a one-night stand with Rachel Breckle (Gemma Oaten) which resulted in the birth of their son Archie.
In 2o24, Chris divulged Jai’s character and his redeeming qualities:
“He’s fun to play! But he’s not all bad though.
“He’s a good dad and he has some redeeming qualities.
“Do you know what? I quite like bad Jai.”
Charismatic, shady, and a soap hardman, Jai is one of the show’s most memorable South Asian characters.
This is a testament to the acting skills of Chris.
Sunil ‘Suni’ Sharma (Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana)
The half-brother of Jai Sharma, Suni is certainly confident and brash.
Arriving in July 2023, he is soon enamoured by Nicky Milligan (Lewis Cope), the grandson of Faith Dingle (Sally Dexter).
Suni was introduced as “the ticket to restore harmony” within his family.
When his casting was announced, Suni appreciated the prospect of playing a gay Asian character:
“He’s not afraid to be his true self and go after what (and who) he wants.
“I think what Emmerdale does brilliantly is making sure there’s accurate representation of real people and telling their authentic stories.
“Bringing a wonderful character like Suni to life on a continuing drama is incredibly important to me as it gives exposure to a demographic which is sadly still under-represented.
“So, I truly hope to do him justice.”
Brahmdeo’s portrayal certainly justified the character.
Emmerdale has been admirable in its portrayal of South Asian characters.
By giving them juicy storylines, meaty material, and fulfilling representation, the show proves that they have merit.
Intertwined with racy scripts and played by great actors, these characters are much more than box tickers for inclusivity.
For that, they will be remembered and celebrated.
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