Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati wants to return as her character Sunita Alahan’s evil twin
FORMER Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati wants to return to the ITV soap as her character Sunita Alahan’s evil twin. The popular star’s alter-ego was tragically killed in 2013 by her ex-lover Karl Munro when he tampered with her life support machine. But while Sunita’s exit was final, Shobna is holding out hope she’ll return […]
FORMER Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati wants to return to the ITV soap as her character Sunita Alahan’s evil twin.
The popular star’s alter-ego was tragically killed in 2013 by her ex-lover Karl Munro when he tampered with her life support machine.
But while Sunita’s exit was final, Shobna is holding out hope she’ll return to the cobbles as a villain.
Speaking on Sunday’s episode of Soap From The Box, she said: “They should bring me back as Sunita’s twin. The mean twin, the mean Sunita. It would be nice to go back because as an actor, it’s really hard, isn’t it? In terms of any kind of security that you might want to have.”
Shobna made her Corrie debut back in 2001 when Sunita fled an arranged marriage in India and took a job in Dev’s cornershop.
The pair hit it off and married in 2006 – but the relationship ended in an off-screen divorce not long after when Sunita was written out.
She returned in 2009 and eventually gave in to Dev’s efforts to win her back, however, cracks again began to show and they split for a second time.
Shobna is still close pals with Tracy Barlow actress Kate Ford, and they often recount their times on set together.
“What I do find sad about not being there is my friends who are still there, ” she said. “The friendship I made with Kate Ford, who plays Tracy Barlow, is still very, very strong.
“We often reminisce and laugh that when Sunita arrived on the street, she had many affairs with different men. I met Kate in the Rovers on one of her first days and I said, ‘Where are you in the building?’ And she said, ‘Oh, I’m just up in this room at the top.’ I said, ‘I used to live there when I first arrived. Do you want to move in with me?’ And she did.
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“We moved into this dressing room and we laughed and laughed because we put up pictures of everybody Sunita and Tracy had had on the show. The wall was covered. She often sort of texts and says, ‘I wish you were here.”
Despite relishing her time on the soap, Shobna thinks the character led her to be typecast in the years that followed her exit.
“I have to say being allowed to shed Sunita has been quite a struggle for me. I have had casting directors say, ‘But she was so iconic. You can’t…’ So was Karen, so was Becky, so was Hayley. You know? I just feel like sometimes they put more hurdles in front of me. If anybody’s listening who wants to write me a role, because in the words of Diana Ross, ‘I’m still waiting.'”
The actress has had roles in Doctor Who and West End smash Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in recent years.