The BBC has announced casting on Virdee, the new crime thriller based on AA Dhand’s much-loved novels, now filming in Bradford. The six-part series is adapted for the screen by AA Dhand and is produced by Magical Society for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Staz Nair (Rebel Moon, Game of Thrones) will lead the cast as Detective Harry Virdee, with Aysha Kala (Criminal Record, Indian Summers) as Saima Virdee, Harry’s wife. Nina Singh (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) plays Tara Virdee, Harry’s niece and a keen crime reporter, with Vikash Bhai (Crossfire, Limbo) as Harry’s brother-in-law Riaz Hyatt. Kulvinder Ghir (Foundation, Blinded By The Light) and Sudha Bhuchar (Expats, Rules of the Game) will play Harry Virdee’s parents, Ranjit and Jyoti.
Set and filmed in Bradford, Virdee follows Detective Harry Virdee (Staz Nair), a cop disowned by his Sikh family for marrying Saima (Aysha Kala), who is Muslim. Harry struggles with the abandonment and now with his young son, Aaron, growing up and asking questions, thinks it might be time to attempt to reunite with his family. His personal life in chaos, he must now hunt down a serial killer targeting the Asian community.
When the murderer kidnaps a local police chief’s son and holds the entire city to ransom, Harry realises that he is going to need the help of his brother-in-law Riaz, a drugs kingpin who runs the largest cartel in the county. Pulled together in an alliance that could ruin them both, Harry must make a choice: save himself and his family or save his city. He will not be able to do both.
Elizabeth Berrington (Good Omens, The Nevers) also joins the cast as DS Clare Conway and Danyal Ismail (All the Lights Still Burning, The Outrun) will play DS Amin. The Virdee cast also includes Tomi May (Justice League), Andi Jashy (Gangs of London), Hussina Raja (Look at Us), Ashkay Kumar (Double Blind), Madiha Ansari (Home Sick), Jason Patel (Unicorns), Conor Lowson (The Bay) Rupert Procter (Doctors).
Multi award-winning composer Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, The Dark Knight) will compose the Virdee title theme with James Everingham and Shashwat Sachdev from Bleeding Fingers. They will also work on the series score with trainees from Bleeding Fingers and Screen Academy Bradford, to give the trainees hands-on experience of composing for the screen.
Virdee creator, writer and executive producer AA Dhand says: “A truly diverse cast, with an abundance of talent but most importantly, real passion for this show. Staz Nair brings Harry Virdee authentically to life not only with a real physical presence but also an emotional depth that instantly resonated with us all.”
On playing Harry Virdee, Staz Nair says: “It’s an absolute honour to be taking on this vibrant and complex story about assimilating culture and what we’re willing to do to protect who and what we love. This show leads with vulnerability more than any detective drama I’ve ever seen, and it’s a privilege to be bringing AA Dhand’s hope for his city to life.”
Executive Producer for Magical Society, Paul Trijbits says: “From the moment we acquired the rights to Amit’s book, we set out on a long journey with the highest hopes and ambitions of what an adaptation of his series of Harry Virdee books could deliver. A first mainstream British Asian-led, returning crime series for BBC One, set in the immensely culturally diverse city of Bradford with a fascinating and deeply complex hero at its heart. Amit, who knows, lives and breathes Harry Virdee’s world has brilliantly adapted his books delivering a world that is both authentic and heightened.”
Virdee (6 x 60’) is adapted for the screen by AA Dhand and directed by Mark Tonderai (Doctor Who, Foundation). The series is executive produced by Paul Trijbits (Jane Eyre, The Casual Vacancy, Saving Mr Banks) for Magical Society, AA Dhand, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Virdee is a Magical Society production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer in association with Screen Yorkshire. Cineflix Rights is the exclusive worldwide distribution partner outside of the UK.
The show makers have also partnered with Bradford Council to create Screen Academy Bradford, which offers a series of specific training programmes across all departments of TV production, enabling those who apply the chance to learn and work in the TV industry.
BBC – Across The UK
Television shows like Virdee – which is set and made in Bradford – demonstrate the BBC’s Across the UK strategy, moving creative spend and decision-making to better reflect, represent, and serve all parts of the United Kingdom.
Nearly three years after setting out the transformational blueprint, the BBC is ahead of target to meet and exceed the commitment to 60% of Network TV commissioning spend outside of London by the next Charter in 2027.
Screen Academy Bradford
The makers of BBC crime drama series VIRDEE have partnered with Bradford Council to launch a new regional training initiative – Screen Academy Bradford – that offers a series of specific training programmes across all departments of TV production, enabling those who apply the chance to learn and work in the TV industry.
The Screen Academy Bradford is spearheaded by the show’s production company Magical Society UK and supported by the BBC, High-end TV Skills fund managed by ScreenSkills, Bradford Council, West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Tracy Brabin Mayor of West Yorkshire and Screen Yorkshire through Screen Alliance North. It is designed to address specific crew shortages and skills gaps.
Screen Yorkshire
Screen Yorkshire is the engine that drives the film and TV sector in the region. Established in 2002, it has been building Yorkshire’s global reputation as a centre for excellence in the screen industries for more than twenty years, helping to secure its position as one of the most sought-after destinations for content production in the UK.
Screen Yorkshire attracts high end TV and feature film projects to the region through its Yorkshire Content Fund. To date it has generated over £225 million production spend through investing in more than 60 film and TV productions. Credits range from TV Dramas Peaky Blinders, All Creatures Great and Small, Ackley Bridge and Dance School, to feature films, The Duke, Ali & Ava, Official Secrets, A Bunch of Amateurs, Sky Peals and Bonus Track.
Our expert Film Office team, staffed by industry professionals, provides on the ground locations, studios, crewing and production support services, facilitating high profile feature film and TV productions from all over the world to shoot in the region.
Screen Yorkshire also works to foster talent and build a versatile and diverse screen workforce, designing and delivering industry training and development programmes for film, TV and screen, with a range of local and national partners. In April 2023, in partnership with Liverpool Film Office, North East Screen and Screen Manchester, Screen Yorkshire launched Screen Alliance North, which was selected as a BFI Skills Cluster and awarded £2.3m of BFI National Lottery funding to make the screen sector more accessible and representative and to build a thriving and skilled workforce across the North of England.