Corrie's Rana Nazir star now – co-star husband, health battle and Hollywood career

It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since Rana Nazir was killed off on Coronation Street.

Imran Habeeb’s sister Rana had plenty of complex storylines in the ITV soap before she ultimately perished in the Underworld roof collapse – including the end of her marriage to Zeedan, her romance with Kate Connor and a kidnap threat from her own mum.

But what has actress Bhavna Limbachia been up to since quitting the cobbles for good? She certainly doesn’t seem to regret her decision to quit, explaining on This Morning: “When I decided to leave the show, I wanted to have a meeting with the producers.

“I wanted to go into the meeting with a solution as to how she would leave the show.”

But she added of her character’s tragic death: “I was trying to come up with reasons as to why Rana would leave Kate. The truth is she would never leave Kate… their love is so pure.

“The only way they could be apart is if the decision was taken out of their hands.”

And with various links to Hollywood on her resume, it seems she’s gone from strength to strength.

Co-star husband

Bhavna tied the knot with her husband Darren Kuppan in 2018, – but the pair were actually co-stars on Corrie.

Darren appeared in the ITV soap between 2010 and 2013 – just a few years before his now-wife was cast as Rana.

He has also appeared in rival soap Emmerdale in 2007, playing Debbie Dingle’s pal Sean Bywater for one episode before going on to appear in everything from MI-5 to Dodger.

Secret wedding

Though Rana’s love life in Corrie was rather tumultuous, it seems Bhavna’s has been a lot more straightforward – though she did opt for an air of intrigue around her wedding ceremony in 2018.

She decided to tie the knot to her actor husband Darren Kuppan in secret at a low-key ceremony in Cheshire, only sharing an insight into the swanky wedding with fans after the fact.

She wowed in a stunning strapless white gown designed by Zeynep Kartal before changing into a traditional red and gold Indian wedding outfit alongside her beloved.

And after the incredible ceremony, Bhavna and Darren headed to Bali for a luxurious honeymoon – and were even met in the lobby of their hotel by a dancer decked out in a golden crown.

Her Corrie co-stars pitched in to congratulate Bhavna on her nuptials – and some even attended the big day, including Bethany Platt star Lucy Fallon.

Alya Nazir star Sair Khan commented at the time: “There are no words!”, while Tina O’Brien – best known for playing Sarah Platt – echoed: “Ahh Bhavna congratulations you both look incredible and your dress is stunning.”

Sally Dynevor also added: “Ahh wow, beautiful!”

Hospital dash

2018 wasn’t all positive for Bhavna, however, as in March that year she was forced to head to hospital after suffering a case of gastroenteritis and an “overbuild of acid in the gut”.

She praised the NHS staff who took care of her in a lengthy Instagram post, explaining at the time: “We’re very lucky to have the NHS!

“Thank you to the doctors and nurses at Tameside Hospital for looking after me.

“A case of gastroenteritis and overbuild of acid in the gut but I’m on the mend. Taking a break from social media for a few days while I recover.

“Thank you for all the continued support and kind messages.”

Bhavna included a photo of her looking rather pale as she reclined in a hospital bed, with her dark hair fanning out on the pillow around her.

Racism battle

Although Bhavna made history as Coronation Street’s first ever gay Muslim character, the former soap star admitted to A-Magazine in 2018 that it hasn’t all been plain sailing for her.

Though she began a career in costume design, she soon transitioned into appearing in front of the camera after tiring of holding an umbrella for her former co-star Connor McIntyre – who played Pat Phelan – on a freezing cold set of Drop Dead Gorgeous.

She has had to cope with racism in the acting industry – including being told she was ‘too pale’ to play an Asian character.

The star explained: “I once went to a job and was told I was too pale to play an Asian character and I said, ‘I’m full Asian’.

“With costume, it’s about how good you are, how creative you are … with acting it was, ‘You’re too tall. You’re too short. You’re too fat. You’re too thin’.”

Hollywood career

It’s fair to say that most soap actors aspire to a career in Hollywood after leaving Soapland – and those dreams came true for Bhavna.

In 2020, she landed the role of Dr Gaya Shirani in Miss Willoughby and the Haunted Bookshop, alongside Frasier and Cheers star Kelsey Grammar.

As well as playing the titular character in Frasier, Kelsey has also starred in everything from X Men: The Last Stand to The Simpsons.

And since quitting the cobbles, she’s also starred alongside Line of Duty legend Adrian Dunbar in an episode of horror comedy Inside No. 9.

Glam transformation

Though her character Rana was a nurse in Corrie and known for her down-to-earth look, that couldn’t be further from the truth for Bhavna.

The actress is sure to keep fans updated on social media with her glamorous snaps as she offers life updates to 105,000 followers on Instagram.

One such snap came in February 2022, as the star donned a pair of navy blue cargo trousers with a glossy sheen, matching her look with a long-sleeved black ribbed top and accentuating the look with glitzy bangles and rings.

The star let her sleek tresses fall down to her waist as she pouted into the mirror for a cheeky phone selfie, captioning her snap: “Washed my hurrr… who dis?”

In another shot, Bhavna enjoyed a getaway to Paris, France in December last year, and posed up a storm in front of the Eiffel Tower.

The star looked stunning in a bright turquoise beret and double-breasted black winter coat, donning a gold deer brooch to finish off the look as she beamed for the lens.

“Bonjour!” she simply wrote alongside the stunning picture, which fans rushed to call “gorgeous”.

Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8pm on ITV.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk