Ishaan Khatter joins Mira Nair’s epic BBC adaptaion of A Suitable Boy, says ‘it’s an honour and a pleasure’

Ishaan Khatter has joined director Mira Nair’s epic BBC adaptaion of Vikram Seth’s novel, A Suitable Boy.

Actor Ishaan Khatter has boarded Mira Nair's adaptation of Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, a sweeping tale of four families set in the post-Partition era.

Actor Ishaan Khatter seen in Mumbai's Juhu, on May 26, 2019. (IANS)

Tabu, who worked with Nair on their critically-acclaimed film The Namesake, also an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, will play courtesan Saaeda Bai in the six-part series by BBC. Khatter will star as Maan Kapoor, the headstrong son of a politician who is besotted by Saeeda Bai.

Ishaan, who made his acting debut with internationally renowned Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi's Beyond the Clouds, said it's an honour for him to work with Nair. "It's not only my pleasure but an honour to be working on this illustrious material alongside such distinguished artistes and technicians led by the indomitable Mira Nair. I hope I can satisfy her vision and give the global audience the character they deserve in Maan Kapoor," he wrote in an Instagram post.

Tabu said it was great to work with Nair on another "creatively charged" experience. "I'm very happy to be working on A Suitable Boy, and especially with Mira. Having worked with her on the Namesake I look forward to one more creatively charged experience," Tabu said in a statement. Produced by Lookout Point for the BBC, the drama is penned by British screenwriter Andrew Davies.

Nair said she decided to work on the project because she believes A Suitable Boy has become "timelier" than ever. "Vikram tells the story of a free India and our people with wit, clarity and love - I am deeply honoured to be the one bringing this intimate, epic tale of an unseen India to the world. Today, A Suitable Boy is timelier than ever. With a mix of legendary and cutting-edge actors from the subcontinent, shooting entirely on location in palaces, villages and streets across northern India, we will keep the history and dream of an alternate India alive," she said. The show is scheduled to premiere in June 2020.

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