Most recently, Bhav Joshi has been seen in the ITV medical drama Breathtaking as Dr. Ant Vyas, which is based on Rachel Clarke’s memoir of the same name. Bhav worked alongside a cast including Joanne Froggatt as Dr. Abbey Henderson, and the series was written by Prasanna Puwanarajah, Jed Mercurio and Rachel. In the BBC One series Granite Harbour, Bhav plays co-lead DI Jaiyush Mallick, with a second series commissioned, and amongst his screen roles, he has played Anu Kapoor in the Netflix series The Diplomat, Anu in Wedding Season, Gary Franklin in Series 1 of the BritBox/ITVX series Crime, and he worked on feature film Tetris. It has been announced that Bhav will be appearing in Series 14 of Doctor Who, with Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor. With stage experience, Bhav was cast in Cyrano de Bergerac, a triple co-production by the National Theatre of Scotland, the Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre and the Citizens Theatre, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, he was part of Crocodile Fever by Meghan Tyler. Chatting to Bhav, we found out about playing Dr. Ant Vyas in new ITV medical drama Breathtaking, filming as DI Jaiyush Mallick in Granite Harbour and what he’s looking forward to for being part of Series 14 of Doctor Who.
You’ve most recently been seen on screen playing Dr. Ant Vyas in the new ITV medical drama Breathtaking, can you tell us about the series and your character?
The series follows the experiences of health workers working through the height of the COVID pandemic. The characters are fictionalised as is the hospital in London, but the experiences of those characters are not. The series follows Dr. Abbey Henderson, who is based on Rachel Clarke – the writer of the book Breathtaking. It’s a very raw look at the plight NHS workers faced during one of most challenging and extraordinary times in our recent history. And the very real struggle that it was for people working on the frontline. It’s the real story that hasn’t been told.
I play Dr. Ant Vyas, who is a registrar in acute general medicine. He, like many other workers there feels slightly jaded by the job. Although he cares so much about his patients and takes pride in the work he does, ultimately he still feels like there is so much to contend with in the national health service. Every day feels like a constant battle, so that frustration is very evident in him. Things change very quickly when he and the team are confronted with the threat of coronavirus and what that means for public health.
How did you prepare for taking on the role and what was Ant like to play?
We were very lucky to have the most incredible medical advisors on the show. Thom Petty (who plays Neil in the show) and Andrew Cinnamond are both practising doctors. They were incredibly open and generous about their experiences through that time. They gave us an amazing week of medical bootcamp before we started filming, which meant we were able to ask A LOT of questions and learn how a doctor would act/talk to their patients etc… But moreover how they felt through that time both physically and mentally. We couldn’t have done what we did without their guidance. I also read Rachel’s book, which, again, really helped give me gain some insight into what that time was like for people on the frontline.
How did you find the experience on set of Breathtaking and how was it being part of a series based on Rachel Clarke’s memoir?
It felt very important from the start. From the writers: Prasanna (Puwanarajah), Jed (Mercurio) and Rachel, we had the sense very early on that what we were making was something that the public really needed to see. And with that came huge responsibility – to make sure we did that as accurately and authentically as possible because we were representing the experiences of real people. And Joanne Froggatt really led from the front with that. But our jobs were made so much easier by the amazing crew we had, who helped transform the set into something that felt truly immersive for us actors. Craig Viveiros, the director, had such a clear vision for how he wanted to shoot it, so that really helped us in understanding what he needed. Like somebody taking you by the hand and walking you through a COVID ward in a hospital. At times it felt overwhelming but we were always in such safe hands with the team. It was a very profound experience working on it. We set out to tell a story that hadn’t been told yet. To hopefully reflect even a fraction of the experiences felt by those amazing NHS workers and the sacrifices they made. Jed said “it feels like public service broadcasting”. I totally agree with that. Although it might be triggering and tough to watch at times, the public need to watch this and not look away.
What was it like reading the scripts for the first time and how has it been seeing the viewers’ response to the release on ITV?
I was on a tube reading episode one when it came through and it was unlike anything I had ever read. I felt like I was transported back four years to that time when it was all unfolding. Which seems silly to talk about it like that considering it wasn’t that long ago at all. But I was in it just from the opening lines alone. So much so that I missed my stop. By a good few stops as well… It was just so powerful, visceral and utterly heartbreaking. Knowing that I had friends and family who work in the NHS, who worked on the frontline at the time, I was just so disappointed. One: because I didn’t know to this extent what they went through. Two: because our reality at the time was so different to theirs. Lockdown might have been difficult but what they had to go through was so traumatic. And three: at the government. A defunct government who lied to the public at every turn and stood on the shoulders of those healthcare workers who were really keeping us safe. The constant lies and misinformation from the government throughout the script was so damning. I felt angry.
The response has been so amazing. Especially from some healthcare workers who are right behind the show and in support of why it’s been made. We’ve all had such heartening messages from people saying how much they feel like their experience has been accurately reflected. How much it means to them that people are starting to talk about this again especially at a time when so many doctors are on strike for fair pay rises and it’s all very much in the public eye. Seeing that people have had such an emotional response to the show is really important. I fully believe that if things are to change – really change, we need to understand exactly what happened at that time. Let’s not forget.
How is it getting into character as DI Jaiyush Mallick in Granite Harbour and was there anything that drew you to the series?
Getting into character for DI Jay Mallick is strange because as soon as I put the costume on I feel like I’m in charge. Like, yeah, I can solve a crime no bother. Which is odd because I can’t imagine anyone wanting me to be in charge of anything in real life, let alone be a detective inspector.
But Granite Harbour was saying something new, especially in the world of police dramas. Narratively it felt like something fresh that hadn’t been done before. Weirdly, I just knew I would have a good time doing it. I also knew I’d learn a lot especially with the prominent role he plays in the team. So it gave me a lovely opportunity to be able try things and develop the character. The scripts also moved at such pace and the dialogue was a great mix of procedural drama and comedy. Not to mention it’s filmed in Scotland – which is always a bonus.
What do you enjoy most about playing Jaiyush and how is it filming alongside the rest of the cast?
Mallick is sarcastic, provocative and very competitive. He’s not perfect but cares in his own way. The stakes are always high so playing all of that is very fun. We had such a lovely time making that. It just feels like mates sat around a table solving crimes.
In the Netflix series The Diplomat, you play Anu Kapoor, what is the show like to film?
Working on The Diplomat is a total treat. There’s so much love in that show from everyone involved. But especially from the showrunner Debora Cahn and the executive producer Janice Williams. You can see that love and passion for the show translates to the screen. It’s so well-written and made, with a great cast who can just lift the words off the page with ease. It’s special to be a part of it and work with really funny people.
Can you tell us about your time filming for Wedding Season as Anil and how would you describe the character?
Wedding Season was special because the five of us were put together to be a group of very close friends. And we became exactly that! A lot of dinners and escape rooms. It was a lot of fun being in Manchester filming scenes together as a group. We still see each other constantly. I played Anil, who in the beginning we find preparing to get married and planning the ‘perfect’ wedding. Very different to the other characters I’ve played. He believes in true love and marriage – that old-fashioned settle down kind of guy. He and his fiancée Lelia bicker a lot but also make up a lot. They’re just so in love. He’s just a kind-hearted sensible guy… so my hardest acting challenge yet I’d say!
How was it working on Series 1 of BritBox/ITVX’s Crime and what was Gary Franklin like to play?
Crime gave me the chance to really make some bold character choices. He’s a pretty awful guy, who has disturbing interests. So playing that was obviously challenging, but working with James Strong, the director, was incredible. He really gave me the freedom to try things and lean into those choices that I had come prepared with, kind of unapologetically. The cast on Crime are also brilliant so playing a role like that amongst all of them felt like a safe environment to experiment.
It has been announced that you are in the cast of Series 14 of Doctor Who, how did you feel finding out you’d booked the role and what are you looking forward to for the release?
To find out you’re going to be a part of such an iconic show at an exciting time with Ncuti (Gawta) playing the Doctor was pretty amazing news. I was just so over the moon to be a part of it. I had never filmed anything like that before. The sheer scale of it is so impressive and the people who work on it are so talented. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve created. And to see Ncuti – a fellow Scot – smash it!
How was it filming guest roles in shows such as Karen Pirie, The Baby, Vigil and Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators, and filming a role in Tetris?
It’s so lucky getting the chance to work on such different genres of television. It helps and challenges you to be versatile as an actor. So I’ve been very jammy with those opportunities coming my way. I’ve just had the best time working with such brilliant people. And it was great to be a small part of one of the big moments in Tetris; when they unveil the Game Boy. I loved my Game Boy.
We understand you have stage experience, can you tell us about some of the theatre shows you’ve been part of?
I worked on a triple co-production by the National Theatre of Scotland, the Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre and the Citizens Theatre. We did Cyrano de Bergerac directed by Dominic Hill. It was full of beautiful Scottish poetry and sword fights. It was great fun to be a part of a romp like that and be on stage with seasoned pros who I learnt a lot from. And one of my favourite shows that I got to be a part of was Crocodile Fever by Meghan Tyler, directed by Gareth Nicholls, at the Traverse Theatre during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019. That was a surreal piece of theatre that felt like a film from the 80s. And I got to hear Africa by Toto every day. So that’s obviously a highlight!
How did you get into acting and was it something you always wanted to do professionally?
I was that annoying kid who just recited lines from films all the time, much to my parents delight… But I had an amazing drama teacher in high school who was just always so excited and passionate about teaching. That made me just want to be in drama class all day long if it was possible… which it was not. Turns out you also need to know about gravity and fractions in high school. But I became pretty obsessed with drama and so I ended up doing school plays. And from there I started learning that drama schools were a thing and you could study acting full time as a degree. Having now come out the other side of it in 2017, drama school obviously isn’t a necessity but, for me, I knew I wanted to train, and I needed to. However, getting there took slightly longer. I applied to drama school many times and I finally got in on my fifth attempt. I just didn’t take the hint, obviously. Granted I only applied to one school for four years before I decided it would be a smart idea to apply to a few more. I ended up going to Rose Bruford College in London. And, from there, I was fortunate to sign with an agent.
Do you have any favourite films and TV shows to watch?
I’m pretty obsessed with TV and film – like a lot of people, I imagine. It’s hard to just pick one though. But I love the Spike Jonze film Her. Joaquin Phoenix is one of my favourite actors and it has to be one of the best soundtracks ever by Arcade Fire. A few other ones I’ve seen recently that I loved are: The Worst Person in the World, The Holdovers and Past Lives. In terms of TV, my all-time favourite is The Sopranos. The best there has ever been, in my opinion. But I also never stop watching The US Office. I watched Beef recently too and that was top!
How do you like to spend your time away from your career?
I spend a lot of time with my friends. Going to music gigs, pub quizzes, the cinema. I really like to cook as well so I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I’ve also only been to Glastonbury once (last year) so I need to get a ticket for that in the resale this year. It’s of utmost importance! I’m also a big lover of sport, and football is a major interest of mine. I’m a big Arsenal fan – COYG!
What are you hoping the next few months bring for you and do you have any projects coming up that you can tell us about?
Hopefully some more exciting opportunities to work with some cool people. I’d love to do some theatre again soon. I recently did a short film with some friends on the Isle of Wight that we filmed over four days, which was so much fun! I think we’ve made something really great so I’m really looking forward to seeing that when it’s finished.
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