Don't Mess With Alya!
Alya has been through a lot over the past couple of years but Sharif's betrayal has made her see the world in a different light.
We spoke to Sair Khan about Alya's harder edge - Sharif better watch out!
How does Ayla feel when she finds out about Sharif’s affair?
Alya feels completely dumbfounded when she finds out about Sharif’s affair. She had suspicions that something was going on between him and Sonia but she never thought she was going to be proved right.
She only ever thought it was flirting and in her head that was the worst case scenario, it wasn’t on and she was going to tell him off. She never even contemplated the reality of what he’s been up to and she’s so shocked. Alya’s always looked up to her grandparents and held them in such high regard so this causes her to lose all respect for Sharif.
Initially she doesn’t find out the duration of the affair, she thinks it was a one time thing years ago so for her to have such a strong reaction without knowing the full truth says something about how disturbed she is by it all.
Is she tempted to tell Yasmeen?
The only thing that’s stopping her from telling Yasmeen the truth is that Sharif plays it down so much and tells her it happened a long time ago and he has massive regrets. She wants to tell Yasmeen the truth but she doesn’t know what good it’s going to do, she’s scared of breaking up the family, she doesn’t want to be the one who has to tear the family apart.
What’s her motivation for blackmailing him? What do you make of this ruthless side of Alya?
I think there are a few aspects to the blackmail. One is that she’s furious with Sharif, he’s got the cash at his disposal because he’s about to buy Sonia a flat but yet he won’t invest in her, also she wants to punish him, she doesn’t want him to have his cake and eat it.
Alya’s trying to make the best of a bad situation for herself. Her main motivation isn’t to get herself ahead though, it’s to punish Sharif, it’s not as selfish as it seems.
Why does Alya need the money she asks him for?
Alya is trying to set up a new business with Aidan, running alongside Underworld. Last year she made some bespoke basques with Sinead and when Aidan finds the designs he thinks he has clients who’d be interested. But they realise they’re going to need some new machinery to recreate the embroidery on the designs so she needs the money to buy this expensive machine.
She wants to become 50/50 business partners with Aidan on this side strand of the factory, she wants a bit more power.
Alya seems to be turning into a hard-nosed businesswoman - she even tells Sinead she’s no longer required. Is Alya very ambitious?
I think Alya is very ambitious, when she came onto the street having finished university she had grand plans to start her own business, that’s always been her goal. But over the last two years she’s had so many setbacks in her personal life that it’s been really difficult for her to achieve her dream.
When she blamed Carla for her dad Kal’s death that really set her back in the factory so she’s been doing her best to get back up the ladder ever since and when this opportunity arises she’s determined to make the most of it. Everything else is falling to pieces around her after the discovery of Sharif’s affair and it’s only her work, her drive and her ambition that are holding her together at the moment.
In terms of Sinead, it’s nothing personal, it’s just that she knows to focus on the business and make any money out of it she can’t have any spare parts and Sinead’s collateral damage, sorry!
Are you enjoying playing this edgier side of her? Would you like her to go a bit darker?
Yes I’d definitely like to see her go darker, reflecting on everything that’s happened to her over the last few years I don’t think you would just be bright and bubbly. She’s been orphaned, lost what she thought was the love of her life through a stupid mistake which nearly ripped her family apart, and now she’s realised she’s on her own.
She’s got to look out for herself.
Is she worried that Yasmeen will find out about her involvement, that she knew about the affair and blackmailed Sharif?She is really worried about Yasmeen finding out, she makes the decision not to tell Yasmeen because she thinks it was only a one off and maybe they can bury it as it happened so long ago.
How did you all react as a group when you learned about Sharif’s affair twist?
We all reacted very positively because as a family it gives us all so much to play out, it sticks us bang in the middle of all the conflict. It was set up so perfectly after seeing Sharif’s strong reaction towards Alya when he found out about her fling with Jason, now we find out he’s had an affair, the hypocrisy of the situation is great to play.
What is your dream storyline for Ayla? Underworld’s new boss, perhaps?
My dream for Alya wouldn’t be to own Underworld but to own her own business on the street that would rival Underworld and be better, to see her become a bit of a business mogul, she’s got dreams that are bigger than just knicker factories.
Is it about time she found a new man?
It’s absolutely time that Alya found a new man, Gary’s moved on and she’s genuinely happy for him, she’s put to bed what happened even though she’ll always love him and it’s great to see him looking to the future and she wants the same for herself.
She needs someone to test her, so we can see a different side to her. I think she needs an older man, who’s strong, who’s got their life sorted and who’s got focus and drive like she has.