The BBC has just dropped a tantalising first glimpse of their upcoming crime drama Virdee, set to grip audiences with its six-part series adapted from AA Dhand's critically acclaimed novels. The show promises a stellar lineup of talent.
Fresh images unveiled by the broadcaster feature Game of Thrones alum Staz Nair stepping into the shoes of protagonist Detective Harry Virdee. He's joined by Aysha Kala, who plays his wife Saima, and Vikash Bhai from Crossfire fame as Saima's brother Riaz.
The cast is further bolstered by Kulvinder Ghir and Sudha Bhuchar as Harry's parents, Ranjit and Jyoti. Elizabeth Berrington of Good Omens is set to appear as DS Clare Conway, with Danyal Ismail rounding out the police force as DS Amin.
Set against the backdrop of Bradford, which lies at the heart of Dhand's literary work, Virdee delves into the life of Detective Harry Virdee.
Torn between his duty and family estrangement due to his marriage to Saima, a Muslim woman, Harry finds himself in the thick of a city-wide turf war.
Joining the ensemble are Nina Singh, Majinder Virk, Tomi May, Andi Jashy, Hussina Raja, Yousef Naseer, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, Madiha Ansari, Nichola Burley, Javed Khan, and Ramon Tikaram, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The official synopsis sets the stage for a gritty narrative: "A turf war is brewing in the underbelly of the city with the police losing its grip on gang rivalries as they spill out onto the streets of Bradford.
"When a young dealer is murdered, Harry's duty to uphold the law clashes with his links to members of the crime gangs. With his personal life in chaos, he must hunt down whoever is targeting those around him.
"Whilst the killer 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."
Multi award-winning composer Hans Zimmer is scoring the Virdee title theme alongside James Everingham for Bleeding Fingers, with the addition of Shashwat Sachdev. The BBC has yet to announce an official release date for Virdee.
