Coronation Street star Bhavna Limbachia is saying goodbye to fans after shocking scenes killed off her character Rana Habeeb in the Underworld roof collapse.
The ITV soap had promised a major character would die in this dramatic week of episodes, which kicked off with Sally Webster (Sally Dynevor) plunging through the roof of the factory.
Wednesday's (March 20) centred around Weatherfield residents mounting a rescue operation at Underworld, as multiple characters teetered on the verge of death while buried in the rubble.
In the end, Rana was killed off on what was supposed to be her wedding day with Kate Connor (Faye Brookes) when she made the very bad decision to dip into the factory for her bag just as the rubble fell.
Following those shocking scenes, Bhavna has revealed that she actually convinced producers to kill off Rana when she decided to walk away from the cobbles.
"When I told Kate Oates and Iain McLeod that I wanted to leave the show to try other things, it was my decision and my choice for Rana to die because it was the only fitting end to the character," she recalled. "Kate and Rana had fought so hard to be together and they had been through thick and thin together. I believe their love was so pure as two souls that there was no way that Rana was just going to have a change of heart, hop in a cab and leave.
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"I felt that if they were to be separated, they had to be torn apart and it couldn’t have been their decision. The only way to go was if Rana were to die. Rana would never leave Kate, ever."
Her two final episodes were rigorous to film, since Rana spent them trapped under the rubble. In some cases, Bhavna recalled that it took as long as "ten hours" to film a few scenes in the wreckage.
Bhavna had to tap into a dying Rana's fragile mental state, explaining: "It was only when the second roof collapse happened that she knew [she'd die]. As a nurse, she knew there was no way out, she knew that she was going.
"When Kate tried everything in her power to get into the factory office, Rana knew it was her last moments and the last thing she wanted to do was to upset Kate and for Kate to be frightened. She told Kate not to look at the rubble but to focus on her. Rana’s final wish was to be married to Kate so that’s what they did, they exchanged vows.
"All Rana has ever wanted was to be loved and to feel complete and whole and she thanked Kate for that. As soon as Rana felt content, she passed away."
The actress added: "It was difficult because I never tried to snap out of character when I got home. It was finding a balance of being able to detach yourself emotionally from the scenes but almost stay in that frame of mind to go back the next day and film."
Looking back on her time on the cobbles, Bhavna said she's now most proud of how the LGBTQ+ community rallied around Kate and Rana's coupling.
"I am proud to be an ally for the LGBTQ+ community," she said. "It wasn’t something that I knew enough about so when I was approached with this storyline, I felt it was important to educate myself about the LGBTQ+ community and that has changed me as a person."
Bhavna also referred to her death scene as "the best exit [she] could have ever wished for". Others certainly disagree...
There has been significant unrest within the LGBTQ+ fanbase over Rana's death, with some feeling that it played into the disturbing Bury Your Gays trope of denying same-sex couples happy endings.
Sadly, Rana won't be the only major departure on the cobbles in the near future. Connie Hyde is expected to leave Coronation Street due to her character Gina Seddon's horrific injuries in the roof collapse.
Long-time cast member Kym Marsh will also be taking a break from the ITV soap later this year to star in Elf the musical with EastEnders legend Shaun Williamson.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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