Krupa Pattani
“Farrah has had a lot of drama – she’s flawed like everybody else!”
Hollyoaks psychologist Farrah is used to delving deep into people’s minds – but how will star Krupa deal with us probing her with your tricky questions?
“How’s being part of the Maaliks?”
It’s amazing – I absolutely love it. Because you work quite closely, you do get protective of each other, even though you’re not a real family. It’s really fun to be a part of that little unit, and I like the playful banter that we have going on.
“Is Farrah somebody you would be friends with in real life?”
Yeah, definitely. She’s nice and normal, and I think she’d be a loyal friend. When I first started, they wanted her to be a role model, and I was worried that might be a bit boring. Luckily, she’s had a lot of drama going on, but she’s always tried to do the right thing. Ultimately, she’s f lawed just like everybody else – and she has plenty to say for herself!
“You’ve had small roles in Eastenders and Emmerdale. How do they compare to being in Hollyoaks?”
They’re so different! Those parts were very brief – I played a doctor in Eastenders and a carer in Emmerdale, so they were functional roles. It was an amazing experience to be there for the day, but it doesn’t really compare because Farrah is a fully fledged character, and that’s a lot more fulfilling as an actor. It’s nice having my own story to tell rather than serving someone else’s.
“Which of your onscreen family is most like their character?”
I think Harvey Virdi [who plays Misbah] is like her character – she’s really caring and quite protective of us. She just thinks we’re her babies! But there are similarities across the board. You end up playing a version of yourself in soap, more so than in anything else, because you work so fast.
“What was the best thing about working on TV show Citizen Khan?”
The best thing about Citizen Khan was getting to play comedy. And also playing in front of a live studio audience was great. It was really nerve-wracking, though, and it didn’t matter how much we had rehearsed, it always terrified me. There was an added pressure of wanting to deliver on the night, because you don’t want the audience to have to stay there while you go again and again.
Hollyoaks?” “How do other roles compare to being in
“Have you been recognised much by Hollyoaks fans?”
I have. You get loads of different reactions – some people will just scream at you and run away, which is really weird! And then other times people will just come over and say “Hey”.
That’s confusing because
I think I must know them too, but then
I realise they recognise me from Hollyoaks!
“How did you feel about cutting off your hair to play Farrah?”
It was really exciting. I was fed up with my hair anyway, and I had a job just before where I’d been really girlie and had a chance to do all these funky hairstyles. So I was ready for the chop! It’s been a bit of an adjustment, but now I’m used to it, and I’m starting to have a lot of fun with my short hair.
“I really loved the scenes of Farrah facing off with killer Ryan Knight. What were they like to film, and were you ever a Blue fan?”
Yes, I was a big Blue fan! But it was completely different because it didn’t feel like Duncan from Blue, it was just this lovely actor Duncan. So I really enjoyed it. I loved how tense the scenes were, and how high the stakes were. I felt like I could completely give my all, which was so much fun.
“What did you do to celebrate your first episode of Hollyoaks?”
I was so nervous that
I just watched it on my own in the Hollyoaks green room! I really struggle with seeing myself on screen, though of course, everyone was really supportive.
“Who do you share a dressing room with at Hollyoaks?”
I share a room with Sophie Porley
[Ellie], Amy Conachan [Courtney], Harvey Virdi and Lizzie Stavrou [Roxy]! We’ve just had all of our dressing rooms redone, so I haven’t had the chance to hang out in there much yet. We normally just chill in the green room between scenes, and chat or be on our phones. Nothing too glamorous!
“Do you have Maalik nights out?”
We try to, but we’ve only managed one meal in the year that we’ve been a family! We always talk about going out for people’s birthdays, but then someone will have football, and some people live further away, so organising it is difficult. We always want to do something, though!
“Farrah has a lot of tattoos. Do you have any in real life?”
No, they’re all painted on for Farrah. I’ve always worried that people would be less likely to employ me for acting jobs if I had tattoos. But since playing Farrah, it’s made me think more about getting one as I love hers. Maybe I should put a call out on Instagram and see if anyone has a suggestion for me!
“Do you have Maalik nights out?”