Farrah Maalik

In April 2017, it was announced that Hollyoaks would be introducing the family of new character Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry), consisting of her sister Farrah and their mother Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi). It was reported that Krupa Pattani had been cast as Farrah Maalik, who was described as having a "feisty, hilarious and roaring" personality. , played by Haiesha Mistry (pictured). Hollyoaks executive producer Bryan Kirkwood called Farrah "brilliant", saying, "No doubt she's going to be a divisive character, but I'm really proud of Krupa's performance – I think it's really strong, really unique and an original voice in soap. In Farrah's case, I would like her to be a role model". He added that "Farrah being accepted by her mum Misbah" could only have happened after the EastEnders storyline. Pattani explained that Farrah is close to her mother and sister and "interested in people", calling the character "well educated, quick-witted and brilliant at her job". Pattani had watched Hollyoaks when she was younger and had been interested that the soap had previously tackled a storyline about male rape. Pattani added that she liked the "playful banter" that they had and revealed that the unit tried to organise meals out together but had not achieved it often due to the difficulty in finding a suitable time. She also revealed that Virdi would treat the rest of the units as her "babies" and was caring and protective towards them. Pattani had worked with Virdi before on Citizen Khan, where Virdi played the mother-in-law of Pattani's character, which Pattani called a "pleasure". Pattani has said that she would be friends with Farrah in real-life as she is "nice", "normal" and "loyal". The actress explained that Hollyoaks initially wanted Farrah to be a role model, which worried Pattani that the character would be boring; however, she believed that the character had always tried to do the right thing and had been involved in a lot of drama, with Pattani adding that Farrah was "flawed" like everyone else and that she has "plenty to say for herself". Compared to her previous minor roles in soap operas, Pattani was glad to be portraying a "fully fledged character" and having her own story, which she believed was more fulfilling as an actor. She also believed that actors end up playing versions of themselves in soap operas due to the process being so fast. Pattani revealed that she had been recognised by Hollyoaks fans, with some screaming and running away whilst others said hello to her. The actress also revealed that she shared a dressing room with Virdi, Amy Conachan (Courtney Campbell), Sophie Porley (Ellie Nightingale) and Lizzie Stavrou (DS Roxy Cassidy), and that they would chat or "chill" in between scenes. ==Development==

Introduction Farrah's first appearance aired on 6 June 2017. It is then revealed that Farrah has gotten a job as the new clinical psychologist at the hospital in the village. Discussing the character's occupation, Pattani called Farrah "a healer of mental health" and joked that that meant that she would be "busy" in the village because of this. Upon Farrah's arrival, Farrah catches Esther's eye, and Pattani revealed that Farrah would be involved in a potential love triangle with Esther and her estranged wife Kim Butterfield (Daisy Wood-Davis). The actress explained that Farrah is single and likes to "play the field". When Farrah finds out that Scott has been hiding his identity from his half-brother Damon Kinsella (Jacob Roberts), she confronts him and encourages him to be honest. Farrah later supports Scott's cousin Lily Drinkwell (Lauren McQueen) with her own health issues. Relationship with Kim After ending her marriage to Kim, Esther remains friendly with her and, encouraging her to get professional help, comes with her to hospital with Farrah, who is her new psychologist. Kim becomes "immediately smitten" with Farrah, which made Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy opine that Farrah would be Kim's new "victim to stalk, pester and generally obsess over" due to Kim's history of obsessing over people. When Farrah believes that Kim is ready to be discharged due to her progress, Kim panics and pretends to be in a "trance". Farrah becomes "frantic with worry" about Kim's disappearance and reports it to the police, who dismiss her fears and do not investigate it. Not wanting to reveal his vendetta against James, Sami lies and tells Farrah that Kim was dating someone else behind her back and claims that this was the reason for his arguments with Kim, which stuns Farrah. Believing that Kim is gone forever and dealing with a lack of answers over her disappearance, Farrah tries to move on with her life and gives up of ever finding her. Farrah ends up having a breakdown when she packs up a box of Kim's belongings and she is comforted by Grace Black (Tamara Wall). Pattani added, "It was nice to have the relationship and the love between [Farrah and Kim]. But now we've also had a chance just to explore Farrah better as a person – her morality, her sense of self and how she reacts as a professional when her back's up against a wall. That's been really interesting to explore. So rather than being strange, it's just been a really golden opportunity". Ryan then ends up taking Farrah to a forest to find Kim's body, nowhere near where she actually is, and it is hinted that Farrah would be serious "deadly danger" because of this. After her ordeal, Kim continues to struggle mentally and Farrah becomes concerned for her welfare and frustrated that she cannot help her. Affair with Grace and WAGs Farrah continues trying to help Kim readapt to life after her ordeal, but she then gets a "life-changing offer" of her dream job outside of the village and she is unsure whether to take due to her "tricky situation" with Kim as she is unsure of how Kim will cope with her being away. Misbah encourages Farrah to accept the job and says that Kim needs to learn to function without her. Kim shows a "positive sign of improvement" and tries to congratulate Farrah on the job, but Farrah snaps at her as she is feeling guilty over her kiss with Grace, although she apologises the next day. Kim decides to give Farrah a second chance, but when she is meeting her, Glenn shoots Kim, leaving her fighting for her life. As Glenn is awaiting for an operation, Kim tries to murder him, but Farrah manages to talk her down in time. Wanting to bring Glenn down, Farrah and Kim team up with Grace, Courtney Campbell (Amy Conachan), Maxine Minniver (Nikki Sanderson) and Simone Loveday (Jacqueline Boatswain), with the six ladies forming the "WAGs". It was teased that one or more of the ladies could murder Glenn. Glenn's portrayer, Bob Cryer, "loved" the twist of Glenn's death having an "Agatha Christie-esque twist" by having the WAGs team up to kill him, telling Digital Spy, "There was a brilliant team-building nature among the WAGs. Every week, they seemed to get themselves a new member. It was fantastic, bold and funny too, because the story had its lighter moments. Now it's all come together, with a brilliant array of talent involved". After Liam finds Kim's missing vial in a bush and she is taken in for questioning, the WAGs worry that they will be found out. However, Kim decides to take the blame for Glenn's murder as she believes that she has less to lose and she flees the village after an "emotional goodbye" with Farrah to avoid being arrested. Farrah keeps up her end of the deal when Cleo obliges and she asks Grace out, with it being hinted by Digital Spy that this could lead to a new relationship for the pair. Departure In May 2019, it was hinted that Farrah would be departing the village when she receives a job offer in Canada, leaving her torn over what to do and how to tell Grace. Farrah decides to keep the news to herself and is further unsure when Grace says that she wants to move but stay in Chester. After the accident, Farrah wants to stay by Grace's side and plans on helping her becoming paralysed. Farrah ended up departing the soap and her exit aired on 28 May 2019. In her exit storyline, Farrah tries to get inside of Liam's head and offers him an impromptu therapy session, but Liam realises what she is up to and makes up a storyline about witnessing a car crash when he was younger. The pair break up and Farrah is encouraged by her family to have a fresh start, so she leaves the village and says goodbye to them. Pattani said that her time was "sort of coming to an end anyway" and that whilst she had had "an amazing time on this show and have learned so much from amazing people", she wanted to pursue other projects. Pattani believed that it was "heartbreaking" that Farrah and Grace could not be together, though she was glad that Farrah got a great work opportunity. Pattani added, "It's so sad; [Garace and Farrah have] been through a lot and really care for each other. They are a bit of an odd couple, but what I enjoyed about playing their relationship was how they work out understanding each other. It was quite funny to see". Pattani also said, "Grace felt she had to do what she did for Farrah to move on, otherwise there'd be no reason she would've left". Pattani was glad that Farrah had reported Liam to the police, saying, "Liam thinks he's untouchable and can get away with anything. Farrah had a sense something wasn't right and questioned him to get to the bottom of it, but before she could get anywhere he shut her down and engineered it to get rid of her. I'm so glad she follows her instinct and reports him to the police; she trusts they will do something". Pattani explained that Farrah only thinks that Liam knows something and if she knew that he had driven the car that hit Grace she would have been more confrontational, adding, "Accusing her girlfriend's brother of having some knowledge about this terrible accident is a massive thing that could wreck her relationship, and she hasn't got any evidence, just an inkling. That isn't enough to convince other people." Pattani noted that Liam had gone to "great lengths" to hide something from Farrah. Pattani added that Farrah thinks that Grace has other people in her life who she can turn to now that she has left. A storyline had also seen the Maalik family be targeted by a far-right gang. Pattani praised Hollyoaks for tackling that topic, explaining, "This is such a toxic presence in our society, a lot of our audience are young people so it's good to tell the story to them. Covering racism is extremely dark, but I'm glad they are doing it as it is a real problem. I am proud of Hollyoaks and glad I got to be a part of it". She added that she would continue watching the soap to see how the storyline progressed. The actress said that she would be miss working with her Maalik family co-stars, calling them "gorgeous people" who are passionate about their work but also fun to be around. Pattani said that she loved working with them and that they had laughed a lot on set. She added that she was very proud of what Hollyoaks was doing with the Maalik family and what they had achieved. The actress said that she would be open to returning to Hollyoaks if the opportunity came up. Pattani also said that she would be open to being on another soap opera but felt loyal to Hollyoaks. ==Storylines==

Farrah arrives in Hollyoaks as the new psychiatrist of Dee Valley Hospital. She is revealed to be the sister of Yasmine Maalik (Haiesha Mistry) and the daughter of Misbah Maalik (Harvey Virdi). They are later joined by Farrah's brother Imran Maalik (Ijaz Rana) and their half-brother Sami Maalik (Rishi Nair). Farrah catches the eye of Esther Bloom (Jazmine Franks) and arranges to go on a date with her, but she cancels when she finds out that she is the estranged wife of Farrah's new patient, Kim Butterfield (Daisy Wood-Davis). Farrah supports Scott Drinkwell (Ross Adams) with his depression after he attempts suicide. Kim develops feelings for Farrah, who reciprocates, so Farrah stops being her psychiatrist and the pair develop a relationship, with Kim later moving in with Farrah and her family. When Kim goes missing after she is kidnapped and locked up in an abandoned building by Ryan Knight (Duncan James), Sami tells Farrah that Kim has left her. However, he later reveals that he lied in order to protect a secret of his that Kim found out. Ryan later tells Farrah that he will tell her where Kim is if he is released, so Farrah works with the police to trick him. The plan goes awry and puts Farrah in danger, but Ryan eventually reveals that he locked Kim in the abandoned Hollyoaks High building and she is saved moments from dying. Kim is traumatised after her ordeal and Farrah struggles to help her, which strains their relationship. Farrah ends up kissing Grace Black (Tamara Wall) twice. Kim forgives Farrah, but she is shot by Grace's ex-boyfriend Glenn Donovan (Bob Cryer) when he incorrectly assumes that she is having an affair with Grace, which devastates Farrah. Farrah feels guilty that her affair put Kim in danger and she works with other women to take down Glenn. After Glenn is poisoned, Kim takes the blame and goes on the run, but she also encourages Farrah and Grace to act on their feelings and become a couple. Farrah and Grace begin dating. Misbah is initially wearing of Grace but she later accepts the relationship. Farrah supports Lily Drinkwell (Lauren McQueen) with her mental health struggles and self-harm and informs her loved ones that she is in danger due to having sepsis. Farrah is unsure what to do when she received a job offer in Canada. After Grace is run over, Farrah aims to stay with her. Farrah becomes suspicious that Grace's brother Liam Donovan (Jude Monk McGowan) is responsible for the crash. Liam, wanting to get rid of Farrah and protect his secret, manipulates Grace into breaking up with her, so a heartbroken Farrah leaves the village to take the job in Canada. Before leaving, Farrah tells that police that she believes that Liam is hiding something about the crash. Years later, it is revealed that that Farrah has a maternal half-brother Shaq Qureshi (Omar Malik). ==Reception==

A month after the character's debut, Pattani said that she had received a positive response online, adding, "Everyone's just been really happy to see Farrah there in the show". Heffernan later called Farrah flamboyant, "quirky" and the "coolest psychologist in town", noting how she "turns heads wherever she goes". A writer from the same magazine called Farrah a "cool" and "edgy lass" that "certainly" grabbed Tony's attention in her first appearance. Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy called Farrah's first scene "pretty memorable", commenting that the character "certainly knows how to make an entrance". Kilkelly also speculated that there would be "interesting times" ahead due to Farrah being characterised as blunt. Kilkelly also believed that Farrah should "Watch out" as he feared that she would become Kim's new stalking target. Regarding Farrah's first episode, Di Hollingsworth from What to Watch wrote, "Talk about making an entrance! Farrah Maalik roars into Hollyoaks on a motorbike, kisses a girl, then removes a biker jacket to reveal a pair of heavily tattooed arms." Sophie Dainty from Digital Spy believed that Farrah had a "feisty exterior" and that she had made her debut in a "pretty memorable fashion". She believed that a love triangle between Farrah, Kim and Esther would be "dramatic" and hinted that Farrah should "be careful". Prior to Kim and Farrah starting a relationship, Dainty believed that Kim had "transferred her obsession with Esther onto Farrah" and speculated that Farrah could be in danger due to Kim's obsession. Dainty wondered in June 2018 whether Farrah could lose Kim to Grace after the pair "share a moment". Stephen Patterson from Metro opined that Farrah and Grace's relationship had been "anything but smooth", adding that they had had a "rocky start" but things got later got better for the pair, though he believed that Farrah's potential move to Canada could "very well spell the end for their relationship". Duncan Lindsay from the same newspaper opined that Farrah had taken "drastic action" to protect Kim from Glenn by jeopardising her career and doctoring Kim's medical notes. Lindsay also wondered whether Kim and Farrah would split up after the latter's kiss with Grace. Lindsay's colleague Adam Starkey believed that Farrah could be the one to expose Liam for running over Grace. Christian Tobin from Digital Spy called Farrah's departure scenes "sad" and believed that the scenes where Grace breaks up with Farrah were "heartbreaking". Tobin reported how viewers were "wrecked" by the couple's breakup, which he believed was not surprising, and he wondered whether Farrah had "set the wheels in motion for Liam's downfall". Johnathon Hughes from Radio Times believed that the way that Grace broke up with Farrah was cruel. Jessica Lindsay from Metro wrote that despite sometimes showing her sensitive side, Farrah was "certainly a contender for one of the feistiest women in Hollyoaks, which is saying something!" She also called Farrah's departure sad and "tearful" but was glad that she had the "last laugh against Liam". A writer from Soaplife called Farrah a "no-nonsense Tigress" in 2017. ==References==