An ex-Emmerdale actor has officially taken to the Broadway stage.
Former Emmerdale favourite Bhasker Patel recently enjoyed a touching reunion with former co-star Rebecca Sarker.
The 69-year-old actor played Rishi Sharma on the ITV soap from 2011 until 2023, but his character met a heartbreaking fate after falling down the stairs and dying alone, tragically missing son Jai’s (Chris Bisson) wedding.
Since leaving the show, Bhasker’s career has gone from strength to strength, with roles in films such as Sky Peals and Sumotherhood, as well as appearances in TV projects like Matopulas and the drama Never Had a Chance.
Bhasker has now landed a part in the Broadway production of Oedipus at Studio 54 in New York City, playing the role of Corin — marking his official Broadway debut.
To celebrate this milestone, his former Emmerdale co-star Rebecca Sarker, 50 — who plays Manpreet Sharma, Rishi’s on-screen ex-wife — travelled to New York to cheer him on, according to the Mirror.
Sharing on Instagram, 50-year-old Rebecca posted several photos with Bhasker in front of the Oedipus Broadway signage. She captioned the images: “What a guy! What a show! What a city! @bhaskerpatel @oedipusbway @studio54.nyc” along with heart emojis.
Bhasker also shared the reunion on his own Instagram, revealing that Rebecca had surprised him with a pack of Jammie Dodgers from the UK.
He wrote: “Irresistible Jammie Dodgers all the way from the UK and from my dearest friend @rebeccasarker — #manpreetsharma of @emmerdale @itv @itvxofficial. Who could turn down a gift hand-delivered like that? #thankyou #thankyou #oedipus Already begun! Not stopping — the end is the beginning!”
In the photos, Bhasker looked almost unrecognisable compared to his Emmerdale alter ego Rishi, now sporting a full grey beard instead of Rishi’s usual clean-shaven look.
Fans quickly filled the comments, with one saying: “Aww, such lovely pics! So happy you’re enjoying NYC!” Another wrote: “Miss you on Emmerdale, Bhasker, but it looks like you’re having an amazing time.”
A third added: “I’m delighted Bhasker has shown there’s definitely life after Emmerdale!” while another fan simply said: “The best duo!”
Kevin Mathurin, who plays Charles Anderson on the soap, commented: “Bhasker on Broadway. I love it.”
Brahmdeo Shannon Ramana, known for playing Suni Sharma, also shared his excitement, writing: “Awww I love this,” accompanied by heart emojis.
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