Trigger Point aired the shocking death of DCI Amar Batra (Maanuv Thiara) in the season four premiere, and the actor has now broken his silence about the exit.
The ITV crime series returned on Sunday evening (August 30) with Lana Washington (Vicky McClure) tasked with saving the Bank of England from being blown up. However, there was a fatality in her team as DCI Batra was brutally killed while on duty.
Actor knew about exit since season three
Speaking to Reach PLC and other press about his departure after three seasons on Trigger Point, Maanuv Thiara confirmed he had known about his character's fate since season three of the show.
He explained, "When I found out, I think we were just from the end of season three, and I had Dan and Chris waiting in my trailer one morning. They told me what was going on, and obviously, at first, I was totally gutted."
"But then annoyingly, it kind of made total sense for the story and the character, so I got on board with it pretty quickly after that."
Co-star's emotional reaction
Natalie Simpson, who plays DS Helen Morgan, also expressed her emotion about filming Batra's final scene as her co-star leaves the show. She said, "It was sad. But we had more to do after, didn't we? So that wasn't the last time I ever saw him."
Batra had been a significant presence throughout the show, acting as a key liaison between Lana's bomb disposal unit and senior command, often caught between the demands of the frontline team and the pressures of the police hierarchy. His promotion to Detective Chief Inspector ahead of series four reflected his growing authority within the unit, making his sudden death all the more shocking for viewers who had followed his journey across three series.
Writer explains decision
Speaking about how the decision to kill off DCI Batra came about, Trigger Point writer Chris Brandon explained that the impact of the character's death would be felt among viewers.
He said: "It's a testament to Maanuv that he created a character that we cared enough about to make it meaningful, that's he created this fantastic character and you don't want somebody goping for nothing."
"So I think when we got to that stage and realised how devastating it was going to be, and we spoke to Mo about it, it felt story-wise it was the right move for us to make at the time."
How did DCI Amar Batra die?
In a tense first episode of season four, troubled expo Lana raced across the capital to disarm a huge explosive device while in the back of a moving lorry driven by her trusty colleague Hass (Nabil Elouahabi), but they soon realised the capital was under attack.
Danny (Eric Shango) also battled the large-scale bomb threat and was supported by newly promoted DCI Batra and his sidekick, DS Helen Morgan. Newcomer Commander Nia Quentin (Julie Graham) stepped in at HQ to lead the team during the bomb attacks, as DCI Batra was needed out on the ground, but the decision had grave consequences.
DCI Batra was investigating a possible lead to the gang behind the bombs when he examined a derelict office alongside DS Morgan. As he opened an office door, a bomb exploded, sending Batra into the air and killing him instantly, while DS Morgan survived.
Trigger Point returns on Sunday 30th August at 9pm on ITV1, STV and available to stream on ITVX and STV Player.
