© ITV
Gennie (Sian Reese-Williams) has had a crush on Nikhil for months, but the businessman is only just beginning to realise his own feelings for her - and may have left it too late.
Makarem told This Morning today: "I think what it is, for a long time he's been chasing the wrong thing. In his mind's eye, what he thinks is right for him totally isn't. And it's a bit like Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, where Orsino is in love with the idea of being in love - the ideal of it.
"Right underneath his nose, the perfect thing is there, but I think he's got a lot of emotional conflicts from his history and his childhood that he's not established within himself - he's not fought those off yet."
Discussing Nikhil's habit of insulting Gennie, he continued: "He has a lack of ability in saying the right thing at the right time. It's not that he's not trying - he's a very sensitive individual and he's wanting to say the right thing, and he's wanting to do the right thing."
© ITV
© ITV
Emmerdale bosses are currently building up a love triangle storyline as local vet Nicky (Matt Milburn) has recently been taking an interest in Gennie, leaving Nikhil jealous.
Makarem added: "I think it's taken someone of [Nicky's] calibre, of all his charm and charisma - that's surprised Nikhil and shook him up. It needed to be someone like that to wake him up."
Emmerdale continues tonight at 7pm on ITV1.
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