Coronation Street actor Junade Khan has said it was 'surreal' to be recognised during a trip to Alton Towers following his debut in the long-running ITV soap.
Khan, who plays Idris Nazir, arrived in Weatherfield in May. However, this is not his first appearance in the show, as he previously played Saj, a short-term boyfriend of Rosie Webster, for two episodes in September 2008.
Return to Weatherfield
In his return, Idris was initially introduced as the cousin of Alya Nazir, but later revealed he is actually her uncle, disclosing that Yasmeen Nazir's husband, Sharif, had an affair with his mother, making him the half-brother of Alya's late father, Kal.
Idris made a memorable entrance by confronting two customers in Speed Daal, supporting Leanne Battersby and Brody Michaelis. Leanne quickly fell for his charms, and Brody has been taken under his wing, though with questionable consequences.
Public Recognition
Khan shared his surprise at the public's reaction, saying, "I try to stay away from reading comments online, but I was actually surprised by how quickly people recognised me. It happened after just the first episode! I went to Alton Towers, wearing a hat and sunglasses, and people still came up to me. It was surreal. Even though he’s not the most likeable character right now, I’m confident that as people see more dimensions to him and find the humour in him, they’ll start to warm to him."
Embracing the Character
Reflecting on his role, Khan said, "I'm absolutely loving the character. He’s really developed over the last month or so; something has just clicked. I’m understanding him much better now and getting to grips with the style of Coronation Street. It’s a delicate balance—it can’t be too subtle like in some dramas, it has to be a bit heightened, but still grounded in realism. I’ve started to truly embrace the character. He’s brilliant because he has so many dimensions. While he isn’t liked by everyone, there is a lot of vulnerability there, especially in his relationships with Leanne, Sam, Brody, and Alya."
Brody's Influence
Regarding concerns that Idris is leading Brody astray, Khan explained, "It depends on how you look at it. He does like Brody, he’s a funny lad, but he doesn't trust him with big business decisions because he lets himself down with alcohol and maturity. He uses him for the 'dirty jobs' while keeping him on board. In a way, he’s trying to step into a father figure role to guide him away from ending up like his dad, Mick. He’s telling him that in the real world, you have to be tough to get where you want to be. It’s perhaps not the best advice, but Idris believes he is more intelligent than Mick and is trying to save Brody from that path."
