'Virdee's First Images Remind Us of the Series' Historic Nature

The last time we checked in with the upcoming BBC crime thriller Virdee, it was October 2023, and the series had just been commissioned starring Doctor Who's Sacha Dhawan. Dhawan had just wrapped up his role as the latest incarnation of The Master on the long-running science fiction show, and the move to lead his own crime series on the BBC was a significant step in his career. However, it wasn't to be. Dhawan had to exit the project due to being in ultra-high demand, causing scheduling conflicts. In February 2024, the BBC announced Dhawan's replacement: Staz Nair, who Game of Thrones fans will recognize as Qhono, the Dothraki warrior who becomes second in command to Daenerys Targaryen in the show's later seasons. The series also revealed the rest of the cast, as filming was about to commence in Bradford.

Bradford, located in West Yorkshire, might not sound like a significant place to film. However, the series is the best-selling series of crime novels by A.A. Dhand, whose titular detective, DI Harry Virdee, a British English Sikh investigator, lives and works in the city of Bradford. Dhand, who has published four Virdee novels so far, is adapting his own work for the small screen, starting with the first Virdee novel, 2016's Streets of Darkness, so it makes sense that he'd set the screenplay in the city where the novels are set.

With filming now complete and Virdee scheduled for a 2025 release, the BBC has finally released the first images for the series. These images emphasize the groundbreaking nature of the project: an almost all-South Asian cast, with actors of Indian and Pakistani descent in the roles of both heroes and villains. The images show them dealing with the sorts of family issues that plague us all: parental disapproval of one's chosen partner and career and families that won't stop meddling, either out of an abundance of love or a need for control.

Here's the series synopsis:

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 realizes 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 choose to save himself and his family or his city. He will not be able to do both.

The new images introduce Nair in the lead role of Bradford-based detective Harry Virdee. He is joined by Aysha Kala (Indian Summers), who plays Harry’s wife, Saima, and Vikash Bhai (Crossfire) as Saima’s brother, Riaz. The new pictures also give viewers a first look at Kulvinder Ghir (Foundation) and Sudha Bhuchar (Ridley) as Harry's parents, Ranjit and Jyoti. 

Nina Singh (The Lazarus Project) plays Tara Virdee, Harry’s niece, and Manjinder Virk (Trigger Point) plays Harry’s sister, Mandip. The main cast is rounded out by Danyal Ismail (The Outrun) as Harry’s new partner, DS Amin, and Elizabeth Berrington (Good Omens) as Harry’s boss, DS Clare Conway.

The supporting cast includes Tomi May (Joan), Andi Jashy (Gangs of London), Hussina Raja (A Discovery of Witches), Yousef Naseer (Ackley Bridge), Nichola Burley (Death Comes to Pemberley), Javed Khan (Everything I Know About Love), Ramon Tikaram (Renegade Nell), Akshay Kumar (Gold), and Madiha Ansari (Home Sick). 

Dhand penned all six episodes of the show's inaugural season. Directors Mark Tonderai, Milad Alami, and Mo Ali shared helming duties, and Stella Nwimo and Himesh Kar produced. Dhand executive produced the series, along with Paul Trijbits for Magical Society and Jo McClellan for the BBC. 

Virdee still lacks an American distributor, which is a glaring oversight that needs to be investigated. The series will debut on the BBC in 2025. Hopefully, someone will step up and bring it across the pond before that happens.