Jai Sharma is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera, Emmerdale, played by Chris Bisson. He made his first on-screen appearance on 11 September 2009, alongside his brother Nikhil (Rik Makarem). In 2013, Bisson temporarily departed Emmerdale on 24 January because of the birth of his child and returned at the end of March that year. During his time on the show, Jai formed the "Sharma & Sharma factory" alongside Nikhil and their father Rishi (Bhasker Patel); closely interacted with his estranged mother Georgia Sharma (Trudie Goodwin); developed a close friendship with local businessman Declan Macey (Jason Merrells) that lasts until it transpires that Jai is the father of Declan's supposed daughter, Mia (Sapphire Elia), following her death in a road collision; embarked on a relationship-turned-marriage with wayward "tart with a heart" Charity Tate (Emma Atkins); became enemies with Charity's cousin and ex-lover Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) over his attempts to destroy their relationship and bonding with Jai's sister Priya (Fiona Wade); engaged in a one-night stand with Pyria's friend Rachel Breckle (Gemma Oaten) that results in her conceiving their beloved son, Archie, and his marriage with Charity ending; kidnapping Charity after she took revenge for his one-night stand by framing Rachel for setting fire to Declan's house, "Home Farm", in order for her to abscond the country with Archie so that Jai would never see his son again; reclaim his son Archie until Rachel returns to reveal that she had him all along and that the child Jai had was never Archie; married Declan's sister Megan (Gaynor Faye) over their mutual animosity towards Charity; sparked an affair with Megan's business partner Leyla Harding (Roxy Shahidi) that results in Megan betraying Jai in his custody battle with Rachel over Archie; repeatedly clashed with Cain's brother and Rachel's boyfriend Sam (James Hooton); exhibited a cocaine addiction until he eventually reconciles with Megan after she gives birth to their daughter Eliza; befriended Cain's stepdaughter Holly Barton (Sophie Powles) about his cocaine addiction and later feeling guilty when she later dies of an overdose; and romanced with Holly's apparent best-friend, Nell Fairfax, who soon turns out to be an con-artistic drug addict.