RISHI Sharma has been a long-standing resident of the Dales, making his first appearance in 2011.

While he has been the focus of many dramatic storylines, Emmerdale star Bhasker Patel leads a drama-free life off-screen.

Sandra Flaherty has turned her sights to Rishi Sharma after hearing about his surprise windfall in recent scenes of the Yorkshire-based soap as she tries to get her hands on some cash.

The new storyline is a chance for actor Bhasker Patel to be catapulted back into the spotlight after a small health mishap and some marriage drama with Manpreet Sharma in earlier scenes.

The 66-year-old has been portraying the husband, father and grandfather for more than a decade after spending time in Coronation Street in 2004.

But his stint on the ITV soap is a far cry from his life off-screen.

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When he's not on set, the actor enjoys spending time with his family, as seen on his Instagram account, followed by 18k fans.

A true family man, Bhasker often shares proud snaps of his daughters.

He most recently attended his daughter Maya's graduation ceremony after she completed her BA in painting at Camberwell College of Arts.

Bhasker posted a glam snap of the young woman in her gown and cap, captioning: "So proud of our beautiful daughter Maya celebrating her graduation ceremony."

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The heartfelt message was followed by a string of heart emojis.

Bhasker has also shown himself off with his other daughter Kiri when he bumped into EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal at the British Soap Awards in June, 2022.

Kiri herself graduated with a distinction in Musical Theatre, prompting her famous dad to pen an emotional message in her honour.

"Tears of joy today for my daughter Kiri achieving such amazing exam results after such an incredibly difficult year."

"So proud of you, a distinction in Music is something to be very proud of."

"Time for a long overdue new chapter, studying Musical Theatre. Enjoy every moment!", the actor gushed.

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While he makes his family a priority, Bhasker is also invested in important causes.

In February, the actor led a campaign to raise awareness around male sexual assault and partnered up with charity SurvivorsUK, which works to help boys and men who have been victims of sexual abuse.

Bhasker documented the story of a man experiencing abuse in the new film titled SAFE, which has been created by award-winning director Dan Lowenstein.

The movie follows three men at different stages of their lives sharing the same abuse story.

Meka Beresford, Digital Communications Officer at SurvivorsUK, said: "Working alongside Dan, House of Create, the Media Trust and the incredible actors on this project was such a joyful experience."

"Dan truly poured his heart and soul into creating a film that accurately depicts the experiences of so many survivors of sexual abuse."

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"We hope this film will go far in helping people to understand the impact that sexual violence can have on men, whilst also highlighting that support services like SurvivorsUK exist."

Meanwhile, Emmerdale continues to air from 7.30pm on ITV.

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