VIEWTIES | #79 - Harki Bhambra

FEB 2022

Viewties

HarkiBhambra

by David Reiss

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TABLE OF CONTENTS NO. 79 - FEB. 2022

FEATURES

ON THE COVER HARKI BHAMBRA

BY DAVID REISS FOR VIEWTIES

Harki Bhambra, p10 The actor chats about his role in the fourth season of ITV’s much-loved The Good Karma Hospital.

Harki a r b m a h B

Editor's letter Welcome to the February issue! We took the first month of the year to plan and select the perfect features for you to read this month. It’s been a busy time meeting many talents and discovering their art in depth.

We’re very happy with the result, I hope you are too when you read about your favourite artists through the pages of this magazine. One artist at the time, booklet style, intimate insight on the talents featured.

Remember this is a fast read digital publication to celebrate art and value the talent and knowing the other side of the story including the amazing photography by the outstanding photographers that kindly collaborate with us.

Don't miss any of our issues, as Viewties goes on bringing you the latest on film and television introducing artists whose passion is to make you feel something with their dedication to the job of bringing a project / character to life. As I always say, If I can take something from my job, I strongly believe you will take something from it too. Enjoy the ride and prepare your heart for being touched by our content.

Happy month!

Founding editor-in-chief @vanmiraglia

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Harki Bhambra Photography David Reiss Words Vanesa Miraglia

The lovely and talented actor Harki Bhambra stars as British Asian surgeon Dr Samir Hasan in the fourth season of ITV’s much-loved The Good Karma Hospital. Harki’s character is involved in one of the most poignant, thought-provoking, and emotional storylines of the series. When a woman from the South Indian village goes into early labour with twins, Dr Hasan delivers the babies but despite his best efforts to save them, one of them dies. Stirring up memories and long-suppressed emotions from Dr Hasan’s past, viewers will see how this experience unfolds and impacts on both his life and work.

In the past, Harki has been involved in many other sensitive, but yet different roles just like Jaz in Two Doors Down, Raju Gupta in Call The Midwife and Mike in Dr Who. He also starred in Nick Cohen’s film London Unplugged alongside Juliet Stevenson, Imogen Stubbs and Ivanno Jeremiah and The Village at Theatre Royal Stratford East.

In conversation with Viewties, Harki chats about his work in this muchloved new series, the emotional storyline and so much more.

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V: What an impressive career you have so far! I noticed that the characters you’ve played are quite different but they shared a common factor, which is the sensitive storylines. When you are auditioning for new roles, how do you choose what projects to be a part of? What draws you to the projects and the roles you chose to audition for?

HARKI: Well it was amazing to get the role and to be asked to be part of such a well loved series as Good Karma is. In terms of the journey, I think everyone gets introduced to somewhat of a happy-go-lucky character in Samir, he seems quite free and easy but there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. I think as the weeks go on, more will start to unravel with why Samir made the choice to work abroad and what might be bubbling beneath his chirpy exterior.

HARKI: Hey up. I think “choose” is a very kind word. I'm still definitely in a stage of my career where I will submit an audition for most things my agent sends me. I'm just incredibly grateful to be able to still pay the bills, just about, as an actor. But like I said, my agent picks the auditions that I go for, and we have a really good relationship, so most of the time it will be projects that I'd be up for.

In my ideal world I'll always want to go for meaty roles in well written pieces. You always kinda want a character who has a good bit of complexity to play with and work through, a story to tell that might resonate with people watching.

V: What would you say is the moment that defines the show for you?

HARKI: I’d say the show has a lot of relatable themes for everyone watching. There’s obviously the weekly narratives of the A&E type situations to deal with, which keeps the stakes incredibly high and engaging. But there’s also everyone’s own stories and ongoing struggles that develop week by week.

V: What do you find inspiring about the job?

I can't say, for spoilers sake, what the exact moment that defines the series, but for Samir, I’d say there’s definitely going to be a moment which pushes him to become a lot more truthful with himself and others as to why he’s there.

HARKI: I think it’s the immense privilege you feel when you get a chance to do it. I had a different career before training as an actor and so whenever I get a chance to do it I’m always well chuffed.

V: What is the acting process like in this production and how do you feel minutes prior to start shooting a scene?

I fell in love with acting when I was growing up. As a kid watching the performances of Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Tom Hanks in them late 80s early 90s films used to make me just want to be them. I’d rewatch their films constantly and just loved how they’d tell a story, always with charm or lightness to it. To be able to do the same or play a part in any kind of story being told is a joy I didn't think would be available as a job. And to this day when you see incredible performances, it pushes you to want to be better at what you do. Just the other day watching Sean Bean in BBC’s Time, I was walking round the flat for the rest of the week saying, in my best Sheffield accent, “but…

I’m just a teacher”.

HARKI: It’s different with each tv production, in terms of when you get scripts and changes, the earlier the better is always good for me in terms of getting the lines learnt so you can think about the acting. With Good Karma Hospital they were usually on it with giving you plenty of time with the script beforehand.

So you’d rehearse the scene beforehand then begin the process of shooting it. I found with GKH, all the actors were so lovely that it became a lot of fun during the rehearsal stage, you could play around loads and figure out how you could squeeze the most out of the scene.

V: You’re starring as British Asian surgeon Dr Samir Hasan in the fourth season of ITV’s much-loved The Good Karma Hospital, what can you say about your character’s journey during this new season?

I always try to get as comfortable as I can before “action”’s called but there’s always a bit of nervousness in there - but that’s good, it always reminds me how much I care about it.

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V: How was it like shooting during the pandemic?

HARKI: On set we had a Covid supervisor who made sure everything was COVID safe and ended up giving a lot of freedom to the actors to be able to be uninhibited during scenes. I’d say the biggest challenge was probably the lockdown that we faced during the middle period of filming, you kinda forget how suffocated you feel when you can't leave your living arrangements, especially when you’re in such a paradise, all you wanna do is explore!

Good actors make you act better, but just make sure you’ve done your prep.

HB.

V: How would you describe working alongside Amanda Redman and Neil Morrisey?

V: Are you taking away any important lesson from the show?

HARKI: Acting masterclasses, both of them. I didn’t have many scenes with Neil but he was so lovely to have about when I saw him on days off or during the evening, always giving advice and telling you his acting stories.

HARKI: Not in terms of actual medical techniques, I think one thing I learnt is to always check the vitals and airways whenever you see someone in a really bad way, not that I’d know what to do if something was wrong but at least I can tell the person when I'm ringing 999. I'd basically triple check with our medical advisor anytime I had to look like I knew what I was doing!

I had a few nice scenes with Amanda, she's a lovely person but I quite quickly figured that I had to be on top of my game in every scene I had with her. I always felt it was so easy acting with her as you’d just be genuinely responding to her, as they say good actors make you act better, but just make sure you’ve done your prep.

V: Last question, as my nationality is Argentinian, I am curious to ask you if you have ever seen or experienced any type of art/culture from Argentina?

V: Besides Dr Hasan, do you have a favourite The Good Karma Hospital character?

HARKI: Funny you should say Argentina. It’s kinda my number one place to visit. I’m a huge footy fan and growing up I’ve kinda always been obsessed with Argentinian footballers. I think it was when you knocked England out of France 98, players like Ortega and Batistuta I became obsessed with, then later Juan Roman Riquelme, any time Villarreal would play i’d always try and catch him. And obviously I find Maradona’s whole story one of greatest ever told, he’s still number one to me, with Messi a close second. But yeh I’d love to visit, go to La Bombonera and just feast on red wine and steak for a few weeks. Also Bombon el Perro and Relatos Salvajes are two of my favourite films, basically you have my two main passions massively covered.

HARKI: Ha, I’m not sure Dr Hasan’s even my favourite!

There’s a lot of really good characters in the show. I had quite a lot of scenes with Nurse Mari, Nimmi Harasgama’s character, and found her really funny to work off. She was always such a tough nut to crack, really professional and never letting you get under the skin but once she did there’s a lot of quirky sweet qualities about her. Also, the shows other newcomer Dr Nikki (Becky Ablack’s character), what seems to Samir a really irritating people pleaser but somehow’s incredibly lovable with a heart of gold. It’s hard to pick one!

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