Sunita Alahan
Encyclopedia
Sunita Alahan is a fictional character
from the British
ITV1
soap opera
Coronation Street
, played by Shobna Gulati
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 23 March 2001 and remained in the show until 2005, when the character was axed
from the serial by producer Tony Wood. In 2009, Sunita returned to Coronation Street as a full-time character, reintroduced by producer Kim Crowther.
Sunita's storylines have seen her escape an arrange marriage, diagnosed with an aneurysm and a brain tumour, falsely imprisoned, held hostage, falling pregnant with twins, becoming a single parent after divorcing her husband and surviving after a tram crash.
(Jimmi Harkishin
) and asks for help. She arrives in Weatherfield on 23 March 2001 after escaping her home days before her arranged marriage to Deepak. Sunita tells Dev that she does not want to marry Deepak and Dev agrees to let her stay until her flight for India has left. She explains to her parents Mena (Leena Dhingra
) and Suresh (Kaleem Janjua) that she does not want to marry Deepak, but they dismiss her fears and tell her that she can either marry him or never see her family again. Sunita refuses to marry and decides to make her own future. Dev offers Sunita job at his shop along with accommodation, which she accepts.
Sunita begins dating Ciaran McCarthy
(Keith Duffy
), however Ciaran is arrested for being absent from the Navy without leave. When Sunita starts to develop feelings for Dev, Ciaran returns and they resume their relationship. Ciaran proposes to her and she accepts. Later, Ciaran decides he does not want to marry Sunita, but cannot tell her. Tracy Barlow
(Kate Ford
) tells her that Ciaran does not want to get married. Sunita confronts him and he denies it, but she calls off the wedding. After, she dates Danny Baldwin
(Bradley Walsh), but ends it after discovering he is married.
Sunita later collapses and is diagnosed with an aneurysm and a brain tumour. Dev's partner Maya Sharma
(Sasha Behar
) becomes suspicious and breaks into Sunita's flat, finding a pregnancy testing kit. She then breaks in a second time and finds her hugging Dev, and assumes Sunita is pregnant, but Dev tells her about Sunita's condition. Sunita is shocked when Dev admits her loves her. She then has an operation, having her aneurysm and brain tumour successfully removed. Dev proposes to Sunita, which she accepts and begins planning the wedding. Maya breaks into Sunita's flat and steals her birth certificate and then marries several illegal immigrants, impersonating Sunita. When Sunita and Dev are celebrating their marriage, she is arrested for bigamy. Dev proves Sunita's innocence and she is released from prison, with Maya being arrested but released on bail. Maya then sets Dev's branch of convenience store's and takes Sunita and Dev hostage in her flat above the shop. Maya then sets the flat on fire, but Sunita and Dev are saved by Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward
) and Ciaran. Maya realises they have escaped and attempts to run them over, but crashes and a truck crashes into her. She is later arrested and imprisoned.
Sunita is overjoyed when she discovers she is pregnant with twins. However, she learns that Dev has children by several different women who he has given homes and jobs to. She is devastated and leaves Dev after deciding she can no longer trust him. Sunita gives birth to baby twins Aadi and Asha in January 2006, with Dev by her side. She then leaves for Swinton, after informing Dev that she can never trust him again. Off-screen Sunita divorces Dev, but they keep in regular contact.
). Dev reluctantly agrees to Sunita's wishes, they sell the house in Bramhall
and their offer on Number 7 is accepted by Maria.
In August 2010, Sunita is horrified when she finds Aadi unconscious on the couch. She immediately rushes him to hospital, where they learn that a head injury is evident. Sunita and Dev believe that Claire Peacock
(Julia Haworth
), who had been babysitting Aadi, is to blame. After some nasty confrontations with the Peacocks, they are shocked when young Simon Barlow
(Alex Bain) confesses that he was responsible for Aadi's injury. Sunita feels extremely guilty that they accused Claire of child abuse, but her attempts at an apology are quickly dismissed by Claire and husband Ashley
(Steven Arnold
), who are disgusted that the residents turned against her.
On 6 December 2010, a gas explosion at the Joinery bar causes a tram to derail and crash into the Corner Shop and The Kabin. Sunita, along with Molly Dobbs
(Vicky Binns
) and her baby son Jack are left buried under the rubble fighting for their lives. Sunita is then rescued from the carnage after Becky McDonald
(Katherine Kelly
) finds her alive but with serious injuries. She makes a full recovery and returns home to her family.
In February 2011, Sunita is shocked when Dev reveals that he has been using their savings to pay for the shop refit, as it wasn't insured. They face financial ruin as the shop was looted on the night of the tram crash by Becky McDonald
(Katherine Kelly
) and they have no more money left, as Dev's other businesses have been struggling. Becky's husband Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson
) feels guilty about the Alahans' predicament and secretly posts a letter full of money with the word "sorry" written on the front. The next morning Dev and Sunita find it and are shocked by this, Dev decides to tell the police about the money but Sunita refuses and tells him if they tell the police they will have to keep the money and they won't be able to give it to Owen Armstrong
(Ian Puleston-Davies
) to finish rebuilding the shop. Sunita then convinces Dev to give the money to Owen and the shop is then completed. Later that day, Steve confesses it was him who stole the money from the shop and Dev then kicks him out of the house.
In June 2011, Grishma and Upma, Sunita's aunts return to visit her. They are surprised and shocked at where Sunita now lives and Dev's financial issues, as well as finding out that her and Dev aren't married and were not together during their first visit. They soon start to unsuccessfully search for a husband for Sunita. Having had enough, Dev proposes to Sunita in the Rovers, to which she says no. Later on in the evening, Sunita insists that her and Dev are fine as they are and that the proposal was just a way of proving a point to the aunts.
actress Shobna Gulati
would portray Sunita and appear in the show from March. Sunita was given an immediate link to established character Dev Alahan
(Jimmi Harkishin
) as she was an employee at his shop in Swinton
. After the announcement of the character, the storyline caused criticism among the press for reinforcing negative racial stereotypes. A Coronation Street spokeswoman, Alison Sinclair, defended the portrayal of the new character, commenting: "The arranged marriage storyline is just a device for pulling viewers in. We researched various storylines with the Asian community and this gives us dramatically best way forward. But then we move on from that." Sinclair also said that the show had been criticised in the past for not tackling issues of concern to the characters from the minority ethnic communities portrayed. Defending the storyline, Gulati added: "It's very brave to explore an issue a lot of people consider to be untrendy but it's prevalent and part of our culture." Despite the criticism, writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
who has sat on a parliamentary committee investigating forced marriages in Asian communities, believed such issues should be tackled on screen. She stated: "I think these stories should be on a lot more but Coronation Street should have a whole range of characters. Most people who are running soaps are so narrow-minded, the only time they think of black characters is for stereotypical roles." She made her first on-screen appearance on 23 March 2001, although her voice only was heard on 21 March 2001.
In 2004 Sunita was part of a storyline in which she discovers she is suffering from a brain tumour and aneurysm. The story was reported in tabloids prior to airing, with the storyline showing Sunita convincing herself she was suffering from migranes rather than get herself checked out.
(Vicky Entwistle
) and Jessie Jackson (Nailah Cumberbatch). Speaking of the axings, producer Tony Wood said, "Shobna and Vicky are superb actresses who have proved extremely popular during their time on the show. However it is the nature of soap that characters come and go and the writing team and I felt that these characters had run their course for the time being." Gulati said she was looking forward to a "great exit storyline" and it was confirmed that Sunita would not be killed off, leaving the door open for a possible return. Sunita departed on-screen on 1 February 2006. In April 2006, it was reported by the press that Gulati would return to the show, however it was revealed by a Coronation Street source that Sunita would only be mentioned in forthcoming scripts and would not be returning.
in the previous week. She said: "We have a great new direction for Dev after Tara [Mandal
]'s (Ayesha Dharker
) exit. Further down the line, we build more family around Dev again and it might signal the return of some old faces…" The character returned on-screen on 10 December 2009, drawing 7.79 million viewers and 34.2% of the total TV viewing audience.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
, played by Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati is an English actress, writer, and dancer of Indian origin, best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies, and Sunita Alahan in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009...
. She made her first on-screen appearance on 23 March 2001 and remained in the show until 2005, when the character was axed
Cancellation (television)
In television, cancellation refers to the termination of a program by a network, typically because of low viewership and/or unfavourable critical reviews. Another reason why television programs can be cancelled is to make room for new television programs...
from the serial by producer Tony Wood. In 2009, Sunita returned to Coronation Street as a full-time character, reintroduced by producer Kim Crowther.
Sunita's storylines have seen her escape an arrange marriage, diagnosed with an aneurysm and a brain tumour, falsely imprisoned, held hostage, falling pregnant with twins, becoming a single parent after divorcing her husband and surviving after a tram crash.
2001–06
Sunita calls her boss Dev AlahanDev Alahan
Devendra 'Dev' Alahan is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Jimmi Harkishin, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 10 November 1999.-Character development:...
(Jimmi Harkishin
Jimmi Harkishin
James "Jimmi" Harkishin is an actor best known for his role as shop owner Dev Alahan in Coronation Street. He also featured in the film East is East and also Bhaji on the Beach....
) and asks for help. She arrives in Weatherfield on 23 March 2001 after escaping her home days before her arranged marriage to Deepak. Sunita tells Dev that she does not want to marry Deepak and Dev agrees to let her stay until her flight for India has left. She explains to her parents Mena (Leena Dhingra
Leena Dhingra
Leena Dhingra is a British/Asian actress.She has appeared in soap operas Doctors as Nina Parmar, Coronation Street as Mina Parekh and EastEnders as Manju Patel...
) and Suresh (Kaleem Janjua) that she does not want to marry Deepak, but they dismiss her fears and tell her that she can either marry him or never see her family again. Sunita refuses to marry and decides to make her own future. Dev offers Sunita job at his shop along with accommodation, which she accepts.
Sunita begins dating Ciaran McCarthy
Ciaran McCarthy
Ciaran McCarthy is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street portrayed by Keith Duffy. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 August 2002, before departing in 2005. He returned in 2010 until Duffy temporary departed in January 2011 to go on Boyzone Tour,...
(Keith Duffy
Keith Duffy
Keith Peter Thomas Francis John Duffy is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor, drummer, dancer and television presenter. He began his career as part of Boyzone in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he achieved critical acclaim for his acting roles, particularly in soap operas such as Coronation Street and Fair...
), however Ciaran is arrested for being absent from the Navy without leave. When Sunita starts to develop feelings for Dev, Ciaran returns and they resume their relationship. Ciaran proposes to her and she accepts. Later, Ciaran decides he does not want to marry Sunita, but cannot tell her. Tracy Barlow
Tracy Barlow
Tracy Lynette Barlow is a fictional character in the British television soap opera Coronation Street. She is currently portrayed, since 2002, by Kate Ford, the latest in a series of actresses who have played Tracy at various ages...
(Kate Ford
Kate Ford
Kate Connerty is a British actress best known for playing the role of Tracy Barlow in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street from 2002 to 2007. Kate returned to Coronation Street on Christmas Eve 2010....
) tells her that Ciaran does not want to get married. Sunita confronts him and he denies it, but she calls off the wedding. After, she dates Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin
Daniel "Danny" Baldwin, is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Bradley Walsh, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 28 May 2004 and remained until his departure on 31 December 2006.-Creation and...
(Bradley Walsh), but ends it after discovering he is married.
Sunita later collapses and is diagnosed with an aneurysm and a brain tumour. Dev's partner Maya Sharma
Maya Sharma
Maya Sharma is a fictional character on the soap opera Coronation Street. She was played by Sasha Behar. She appears between 2003 and 2004.-Controversy:...
(Sasha Behar
Sasha Behar
Sasha Behar is a British actress, known for portraying Maya Sharma in ITV1 soap opera Coronation Street.-Background:...
) becomes suspicious and breaks into Sunita's flat, finding a pregnancy testing kit. She then breaks in a second time and finds her hugging Dev, and assumes Sunita is pregnant, but Dev tells her about Sunita's condition. Sunita is shocked when Dev admits her loves her. She then has an operation, having her aneurysm and brain tumour successfully removed. Dev proposes to Sunita, which she accepts and begins planning the wedding. Maya breaks into Sunita's flat and steals her birth certificate and then marries several illegal immigrants, impersonating Sunita. When Sunita and Dev are celebrating their marriage, she is arrested for bigamy. Dev proves Sunita's innocence and she is released from prison, with Maya being arrested but released on bail. Maya then sets Dev's branch of convenience store's and takes Sunita and Dev hostage in her flat above the shop. Maya then sets the flat on fire, but Sunita and Dev are saved by Charlie Stubbs (Bill Ward
Bill Ward (actor)
Bill Ward is an English actor who played Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street.-Biography:He completed a degree in History at Bristol University. He is a former advertising executive. After Coronation Street, he had a role in the ITV series Cold Blood with Pauline Quirke...
) and Ciaran. Maya realises they have escaped and attempts to run them over, but crashes and a truck crashes into her. She is later arrested and imprisoned.
Sunita is overjoyed when she discovers she is pregnant with twins. However, she learns that Dev has children by several different women who he has given homes and jobs to. She is devastated and leaves Dev after deciding she can no longer trust him. Sunita gives birth to baby twins Aadi and Asha in January 2006, with Dev by her side. She then leaves for Swinton, after informing Dev that she can never trust him again. Off-screen Sunita divorces Dev, but they keep in regular contact.
2009—
In 2009, upon Dev seeing golfing associate Matt Davis with his children, Dev confronts Matt. Matt reluctantly tells Dev that he and Sunita are engaged and that Sunita was hoping to tell Dev herself. Infuriated, and possibly jealous, Dev goes to see Sunita. She is genuinely sorry that he has found out that way but assures Dev that Matt is not trying to replace him. Dev isn't convinced and confronts Matt in the following episode, accusing him of doing so. Sunita, very angry at him, orders Dev to leave. In 2010, Dev holds a party for the twins at his flat in Victoria Court. Sunita is pleased with the way he looks after the twins. Matt is jealous that Sunita is starting to feel something for Dev, which leads to him being suspicious of Sunita. Unable to bear Dev's presence in their lives, Matt and Sunita's relationship ends as Dev and Sunita become closer, resulting in them getting back together. Sunita is now regularly seen working and helping Dev in the Corner Shop. In May 2010, unhappy with Victoria Court, Sunita manages to convince Dev that they should buy No. 7 Coronation Street from Maria Connor (Samia SmithSamia Smith
Samia Maxine Ghadie , is an English actress best known for playing Maria Connor in the ITV Soap Coronation Street.-Early life:...
). Dev reluctantly agrees to Sunita's wishes, they sell the house in Bramhall
Bramhall
Bramhall is a suburb of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of about 25,500.Research by the University of Sheffield has placed Bramhall as the "least lonely" place in Britain. Bramhall is also regarded as an affluent area where most residents...
and their offer on Number 7 is accepted by Maria.
In August 2010, Sunita is horrified when she finds Aadi unconscious on the couch. She immediately rushes him to hospital, where they learn that a head injury is evident. Sunita and Dev believe that Claire Peacock
Claire Peacock
Claire Peacock , is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Julia Haworth, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 9 April 2003, as the new nanny of established character Ashley Peacock's son Joshua...
(Julia Haworth
Julia Haworth
Julia Louise Haworth is an English actress best known as Claire Peacock on ITV's Coronation Street, a role she has played since 2003...
), who had been babysitting Aadi, is to blame. After some nasty confrontations with the Peacocks, they are shocked when young Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow
Simon Barlow is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, and has been played by Alex Bain since 2008. The character was played by twins Jake and Oscar Hartley on his birth in 2003.-Character development:...
(Alex Bain) confesses that he was responsible for Aadi's injury. Sunita feels extremely guilty that they accused Claire of child abuse, but her attempts at an apology are quickly dismissed by Claire and husband Ashley
Ashley Peacock
Ashley Sibelius Peacock is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Steven Arnold, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 1 February 1995.On 23 April 2010, it was announced that the character had been axed along...
(Steven Arnold
Steven Arnold
Steven Arnold is an English actor best known for his role as Ashley Peacock in the long running hit show Coronation Street.- Early life :...
), who are disgusted that the residents turned against her.
On 6 December 2010, a gas explosion at the Joinery bar causes a tram to derail and crash into the Corner Shop and The Kabin. Sunita, along with Molly Dobbs
Molly Dobbs
Molly Cosette Dobbs is a fictional character in the British television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Vicky Binns, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 5 September 2005. On 7 May 2010, Binns announced she was quitting the soap...
(Vicky Binns
Vicky Binns
Victoria Jane "Vicky" Binns is an English actress who is best known for her two roles in the two veteran ITV soap operas Emmerdale and Coronation Street respectively. She had a lead role in 'Von trapped' opposite Caroline Quentine and also appeared in Children's Ward playing a character named...
) and her baby son Jack are left buried under the rubble fighting for their lives. Sunita is then rescued from the carnage after Becky McDonald
Becky McDonald
Rebecca "Becky" McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is played by actress Katherine Kelly. Becky was created by producer Steve Frost as a recurring...
(Katherine Kelly
Katherine Kelly (actress)
Katherine Kelly, is a British actress and recording artist who is most well known for playing Becky McDonald in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She has also starred in the film Mischief Night.-Early life and career:...
) finds her alive but with serious injuries. She makes a full recovery and returns home to her family.
In February 2011, Sunita is shocked when Dev reveals that he has been using their savings to pay for the shop refit, as it wasn't insured. They face financial ruin as the shop was looted on the night of the tram crash by Becky McDonald
Becky McDonald
Rebecca "Becky" McDonald is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, a long-running serial drama about working class life in the fictional town of Weatherfield. She is played by actress Katherine Kelly. Becky was created by producer Steve Frost as a recurring...
(Katherine Kelly
Katherine Kelly (actress)
Katherine Kelly, is a British actress and recording artist who is most well known for playing Becky McDonald in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She has also starred in the film Mischief Night.-Early life and career:...
) and they have no more money left, as Dev's other businesses have been struggling. Becky's husband Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson
Simon Gregson
Simon Gregson is an English actor. He is known for being a cast member of the British soap opera Coronation Street in which he has played Steve McDonald since 1989....
) feels guilty about the Alahans' predicament and secretly posts a letter full of money with the word "sorry" written on the front. The next morning Dev and Sunita find it and are shocked by this, Dev decides to tell the police about the money but Sunita refuses and tells him if they tell the police they will have to keep the money and they won't be able to give it to Owen Armstrong
Owen Armstrong
Owen Armstrong is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Ian Puleston-Davies. He made his first on-screen appearance on 9 June 2010.-Casting:...
(Ian Puleston-Davies
Ian Puleston-Davies
-Early life and career:Born in Flint, Wales, Puleston-Davies has starred in the ITV drama Vincent alongside Ray Winstone, and Ghostboat , alongside David Jason. He has also played the lead roles in Conviction and the BBC Three series Funland.He has starred in long-running dramas such as Holby...
) to finish rebuilding the shop. Sunita then convinces Dev to give the money to Owen and the shop is then completed. Later that day, Steve confesses it was him who stole the money from the shop and Dev then kicks him out of the house.
In June 2011, Grishma and Upma, Sunita's aunts return to visit her. They are surprised and shocked at where Sunita now lives and Dev's financial issues, as well as finding out that her and Dev aren't married and were not together during their first visit. They soon start to unsuccessfully search for a husband for Sunita. Having had enough, Dev proposes to Sunita in the Rovers, to which she says no. Later on in the evening, Sunita insists that her and Dev are fine as they are and that the proposal was just a way of proving a point to the aunts.
Introduction (2001)
On 12 February 2001, it was announced that Coronation Street would introduce a new Asian character named Sunita Parekh as part of an arranged marriage storyline. It was revealed that former DinnerladiesDinnerladies
Dinnerladies is a British sitcom written, co-produced by and starring Victoria Wood. It ran on BBC One for 16 episodes from 1998 to 2000.-Plot:...
actress Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati
Shobna Gulati is an English actress, writer, and dancer of Indian origin, best known for playing Anita in Victoria Wood's Dinnerladies, and Sunita Alahan in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street from 2001 to 2006, a role to which she returned at the end of 2009...
would portray Sunita and appear in the show from March. Sunita was given an immediate link to established character Dev Alahan
Dev Alahan
Devendra 'Dev' Alahan is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actor Jimmi Harkishin, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 10 November 1999.-Character development:...
(Jimmi Harkishin
Jimmi Harkishin
James "Jimmi" Harkishin is an actor best known for his role as shop owner Dev Alahan in Coronation Street. He also featured in the film East is East and also Bhaji on the Beach....
) as she was an employee at his shop in Swinton
Swinton, Greater Manchester
Swinton is a town within the City of Salford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located on the A6 road it stands on gently sloping ground on the southwest side of the River Irwell, and within the bounds of the orbital M60 motorway. It is west-northwest of Salford, and west-northwest of Manchester...
. After the announcement of the character, the storyline caused criticism among the press for reinforcing negative racial stereotypes. A Coronation Street spokeswoman, Alison Sinclair, defended the portrayal of the new character, commenting: "The arranged marriage storyline is just a device for pulling viewers in. We researched various storylines with the Asian community and this gives us dramatically best way forward. But then we move on from that." Sinclair also said that the show had been criticised in the past for not tackling issues of concern to the characters from the minority ethnic communities portrayed. Defending the storyline, Gulati added: "It's very brave to explore an issue a lot of people consider to be untrendy but it's prevalent and part of our culture." Despite the criticism, writer Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown MBE is a Ugandan-born British journalist and author, who describes herself as a "leftie liberal, anti-racist, feminist, Muslim, part-Pakistani...a very responsible person"...
who has sat on a parliamentary committee investigating forced marriages in Asian communities, believed such issues should be tackled on screen. She stated: "I think these stories should be on a lot more but Coronation Street should have a whole range of characters. Most people who are running soaps are so narrow-minded, the only time they think of black characters is for stereotypical roles." She made her first on-screen appearance on 23 March 2001, although her voice only was heard on 21 March 2001.
In 2004 Sunita was part of a storyline in which she discovers she is suffering from a brain tumour and aneurysm. The story was reported in tabloids prior to airing, with the storyline showing Sunita convincing herself she was suffering from migranes rather than get herself checked out.
Departure (2006)
In September 2005, the Daily Mirror reported that Sunita could be axed along with nine other cast members as part of plans to reduce cast numbers. On 20 September 2005, it was confirmed that the character had been axed, alongside Janice BattersbyJanice Battersby
Janice Bernadette Battersby is a fictional character in the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street. Portrayed by actress Vicky Entwistle, the character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 January 1997....
(Vicky Entwistle
Vicky Entwistle
Vicky Entwistle is an English actress who is most famous for playing the role of "loudmouth" factory worker Janice Battersby in ITV1's long-running soap opera Coronation Street....
) and Jessie Jackson (Nailah Cumberbatch). Speaking of the axings, producer Tony Wood said, "Shobna and Vicky are superb actresses who have proved extremely popular during their time on the show. However it is the nature of soap that characters come and go and the writing team and I felt that these characters had run their course for the time being." Gulati said she was looking forward to a "great exit storyline" and it was confirmed that Sunita would not be killed off, leaving the door open for a possible return. Sunita departed on-screen on 1 February 2006. In April 2006, it was reported by the press that Gulati would return to the show, however it was revealed by a Coronation Street source that Sunita would only be mentioned in forthcoming scripts and would not be returning.
Reintroduction (2009)
In May 2009, it was reported by The Sun that Gulati would make a "dramatic return" to the show. A source from the soap said: "Talks have been going on for some time to finalise a deal acceptable to all those who are involved. A spokesperson later commented: "Talks have been going on, but nothing has been signed and sealed." On 16 May 2009, it was confirmed that Gulati would be reprising the role of Sunita. Discussing her comeback, Gulati commented: "They didn't kill Sunita off - she went to live in her parents' house in Swinton with her and Dev's twins. Sunita's a heartwarming character and I'd like to see her come back as a mature woman - she has brought up two kids on her own and she's not a girl anymore." Coronation Street producer Kim Crowther first hinted at a possible return for Sunita in an interview with entertainment website Digital SpyDigital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
in the previous week. She said: "We have a great new direction for Dev after Tara [Mandal
Tara Mandal
Tara Mandal, is a fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street portrayed by Ayesha Dharker.-Creation:Her creation and casting were first announced on 22 August 2008, one month after Coronation Street was lambasted in a report by chairman of the Equality and Human Rights...
]'s (Ayesha Dharker
Ayesha Dharker
Ayesha Dharker is a British-Indian actress. She is known for her performance in the Tamil Indian film, The Terrorist , for which she was awarded Best Artistic Contribution by an Actress at the Cairo International Film Festival and nominated for a Chlotrudis Award and National Film Award for Best...
) exit. Further down the line, we build more family around Dev again and it might signal the return of some old faces…" The character returned on-screen on 10 December 2009, drawing 7.79 million viewers and 34.2% of the total TV viewing audience.
External links
- Character profile on the ITV website