Coronation Street Blog: Jimmi Harkishin interview: Dev vs Corey

Dev has been struggling with money worries for a few weeks, how would you describe pressure on the Alahans prior to this week?

Dev is struggling. Asha has been through a lot recently and Dev is still paying for a very expensive private school as he thinks, quite wrongly, that is going to sort everything out. There was also talk of him selling the kebab shop so he has a lot of financial problems right now and he is under a lot of pressure.

Talk us through what happens when Aadi tells Dev that Asha is sleeping with Corey.

Because the twins don’t have a mother, Dev doesn’t have a sounding board and he doesn’t have anyone he can talk to or get a second opinion off of. He has no idea what a teenage girl is going through and he doesn’t know how to handle it so what he keeps doing, instead of taking a step back and thinking about it rationally, is running full steam ahead and he says and does things that he shouldn’t, even though it’s for all the right reasons.

How does what has happened with Asha in the past affect Dev’s parenting decisions when it comes to the twins?

The last thing that Asha went through, with the sexting and the photos, Dev was obviously there for his daughter but he also thinks that when he was growing up it wouldn’t have happened because there was no social media so he is finding it difficult to relate because he doesn’t understand it and he is struggling. He is still reeling from that so he assumes that Asha is sleeping with Corey and she is not yet sixteen. When he sees her coming out to the doctors he is lost because he doesn’t know what to do or what to say. His intentions are right and he is acting out of love and care but he has nobody to turn to for advice.

What are his first thoughts when he confronts Corey in the street?

Dev thinks, “This can’t happen and I will stop this,” and he gets really emotional and really upset. Dev tells Corey to stay away from Asha and he is floundering but he thinks this is the right thing to do for his fifteen year old daughter. When he shouts at Corey, “She is too young,” that is out of sheer frustration because he just wants this whole thing to stop. It is very difficult for him to take on board what is happening because Asha is his little girl and always will be.

We have seen the twins grow up on the street, is Dev finding it more challenging the older the twins get? Does he feel like he is losing control?

Yes, he absolutely does feel like he is losing control. He feels that Asha and Aadi are trying to grow up too quickly. When they were kids it was easier for him but this coming of age phase when the children are turning into young adults, of course there are going to be other problems and I think that’s an age old thing. I remember what it was like when I was growing up and I am sure I was quite a lot of trouble to my parents but you never think you are because you are trying to find your own space and your own voice.

Aadi feels like Dev’s focus is solely on Asha and this begins to spark a sibling rivalry, how will Dev deal with this added dynamic and pressure?

The writing that we have been given has been really lovely, it’s been great to work on and think about. It’s not just the sibling rivalry, they are twins and they don’t have their mother and Dev doesn’t have a partner, he only has them. As much as he tries to balance everything, he can’t do it. There are great stories to tell there because they are twins and it’s really important that the dynamic is there.

You’ve said that Dev only has the twins, would you like Dev to have a love interest or someone he could turn to for advice when it comes to the twins?

I always think that actually if Dev had a love interest, these stories would be diluted and wouldn’t work in the same way. At the moment, I really enjoy that Dev is struggling to balance everything on his own.

How similar or different are you as a dad in real life to Dev?

I’ve realised as I’ve got older that I am an old fashioned dad and we find ourselves turning into versions of our parents sometimes, don’t we. With my own children, I am very protective and old fashioned. As a father, whatever ups and downs you have with your children, they are your children and you are always going to be there for them.

With the Alahans at breaking point this week, can you see the family splintering?

I hope this will make the Alahans even closer. That’s the great thing about Corrie, hopefully they will find some grace at the end of this and they grow closer together. Dev will rail and he will shout and he will argue and he will cry and he will get upset but ultimately he is showing how much he cares and how much he loves his children, it doesn’t come from anywhere else.

What advice would you give Dev?

I would tell him to take a step back, count to ten, take a few deep breaths. I would say, “Stop and think about this and maybe you can say exactly what you want to say but not in the way that you’ve just said it.” There is always more than one way of saying something but that only comes from experience and a little bit of caution as well.

Glenda Young

Author of gritty, family saga novels with Headline