Corrie star feels moved by Street kidnap storyline
THINGS go from bad to worse for lovers Rana Nazir and Kate Connor when they’re torn apart by the people who object to their relationship on Coronation Street.
In shocking scenes filmed in Boothstown, Rana’s parents kidnap their daughter in a bid to end the relationship between the pair.
A crying Rana, played by Bhavna Limbachia, is bundled into a car by her relatives, who are determined to keep her away from Kate, played by Faye Brookes.
We hear they plot to keep them apart by sending Rana to Pakistan after pretending that a relative is sick.
Actress Bhavna was seen filming with Charlie De Melo, who plays her brother, Imran, Kriss Dosanjh and Kim Vithana, who play their mother and father Hassan and Saira Habeeb, and Shelley King, who plays Zeedan’s gran Yasmeen Nazir.
And it appears that Kate, played by Flixton actress Faye, and Rana’s husband, Zeedan, played by Qasim Akhtar, both race to the scene. A vengeful Zeedan recently forced his wife to tell her parents the truth about her affair with Kate, and the story took a shocking twist when Rana’s father said he would help chef Zeedan’s business if they stayed together at least a year to preserve the family honour.
Bhavna hopes to be a voice for the Asian LGBT community with the ‘Kana’ storyline and has felt ‘deeply moved’ by the reaction from fans following the harrowing scenes, which saw her character outed to her parents.
She shared a quote on Twitter which said: “Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how someone else sees you.”
And she posted a moving message alongside the quote, telling her followers: “Honoured and humbled to be trusted with such an important storyline. “I’m deeply moved by all your kind comments. Heartbreaking to know this story is someone’s truth. Let’s continue to raise awareness.” One Corrie fan tweeted in response to the storyline: “But in real life, for some people this is the choices they are faced with. “It’s good that ITV Corrie are doing this storyline. “It may help someone out there.”
Bhavna, from Preston, has urged viewers affected by Rana’s story to contact the Naz and Matt Foundation, which tackles homophobia triggered by religion, to help parents accept their children by emailing hello@ nazandmattfoundation.org, calling Karma Nirvana – which supports victims of honour-based abuse, forced marriages and disownment – on 0800 5999 247, or calling the Samaritans helpline on 116 123.
Be proud of who you are and not ashamed of how someone else sees you
Bhavna Limbachia