Sumith Prasad
The fourth season of NBC’s medical series ‘New Amsterdam’ follows a tumultuous phase of Dr. Lauren Bloom and Dr. Leyla Shinwari’s relationship. Since Lauren tries to bribe the hospital board to secure a residency seat for Leyla, the latter breaks up with her. Still, Lauren helps Leyla when she deals with several issues that revolve around her visa. Lauren even offers her home for Leyla to stay in. Although there are signs that they may get back together, the admirers of their connection must be wondering where Leyla has vanished from Lauren’s life. Did Shiva Kalaiselvan’s character not part of the show anymore? Let’s find out!
What Happened to Leyla?
In the fourth season of the show, Leyla struggles with her visa troubles. Fearing that she will get deported, she accepts help from Lauren, who starts to assist her financially. Their endearing relationship gets tainted by their monetary affairs since Leyla is unable to stop feeling that she is indebted to Lauren for everything she has done for her. Although Lauren tries to keep the money affairs out of their companionship, she fails to do so completely. When Leyla starts to live at Lauren’s place, the latter gets forced to couch surf to spend her nights.
Meanwhile, Leyla completely moves on from Lauren. In the fifth season premiere, Lauren realizes that she doesn’t have any place in Leyla’s life anymore. Since then, Leyla doesn’t appear in the episodes of the show’s fifth season. Since a few episodes had already aired without Shiva Kalaiselvan’s character, admirers of Leyla cannot be blamed for worrying about the performer’s commitment to the show. So, did Kalaiselvan leave the medical drama? Did Lauren and Leyla’s separation open a gateway to Kalaiselvan’s departure from the show? Let’s see.
Did Shiva Kalaiselvan Leave New Amsterdam?
Although neither NBC nor Shiva Kalaiselvan has formally announced the departure of the actress from ‘New Amsterdam,’ Kalaiselvan had most likely left the medical drama. In September 2022, showrunner David Schulner confirmed that Lauren and Leyla’s relationship saga has concluded, seemingly concluding Leyla’s arc as well. “It’s over. We told their story for two seasons, and they changed each other in such profound ways,” Schulner told TVLine. “[…] there was poison in the well — from the start. And it would have hurt them both if they kept going back to it,” he added.
Since Leyla already has a new girlfriend, she doesn’t have any role to play in Lauren’s storyline anymore, which paved the way for Kalaiselvan’s likely exit from the show. In addition, Lauren’s storyline of the fifth season will be focusing on her sister Vanessa, leaving no room for Leyla in the narrative. With no scope left for the character in the season, it is understandable that Kalaiselvan possibly had to part ways with the show. In the upcoming episodes of the show, we can expect Lauren to mend her relationship with her sister and possibly find love in another person. Meanwhile, we can also look forward to more performances from Kalaiselvan in the future.
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