Grantchester star Rishi Nair has revealed that his first day on set involved punching his co-star Robson Green in the face. The 34-year-old actor, who joined the ITV drama in its ninth series, admitted he was terrified of injuring Green and losing his job.
Nair, who plays vicar Rev Alphy Kottaram, said: 'I was so nervous being the new kid. My first scene was punching Robson in the face and I was like don’t break his nose as I will get my P45.' Fortunately, Green's nose remained intact, and Nair's contract was safe.
The pair have since become firm friends, bonding over football – Nair supports Manchester United, while Green is a Newcastle United fan. Nair recalled: 'When Robson saw me he gave me a big hug and I felt so relaxed. We just started talking about football for 15 minutes.'
Nair, a former Hollyoaks star, also revealed that a producer once asked him to go shirtless while handing him a plate of cake. He joked: 'She said maybe in two weeks time? And I was like maybe not after the cake!'
The actor said Grantchester has highlighted important racial issues, as his character is an Indian vicar in a predominantly white community in the 1960s. Nair noted that his grandmother's stories about arriving in England as a brown woman who could not speak the language helped him understand his role.
Series 10 of Grantchester, the penultimate season, began airing on ITV1 on 8 January 2025. Nair praised the show's dog, Dickens, saying: 'The days when Dickens was on set were my favourite. He just brings so much joy.'
