A Suitable Boy (TV series)
A Suitable Boy is a BBC television drama miniseries directed by Mira Nair and adapted by Andrew Davies from Vikram Seth's 1993 novel of the same name. Set in North India in 1951, it follows the coming of age of Lata (Tanya Maniktala), a spirited university student. Also starring Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, Rasika Dugal, and Ram Kapoor[1][2][3]
A Suitable Boy | |
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Genre | Drama |
Based on | A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth |
Written by | Andrew Davies |
Directed by | Mira Nair and Shimit Amin |
Starring | |
Country of origin |
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Original language(s) |
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No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Production company(s) | Lookout Point |
Distributor |
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Release | |
Original network | BBC One |
Picture format | 2:1 1080p |
Audio format | Stereo |
Original release | 26 July 2020 – present |
External links | |
Website |
Cast
- Tabu as Saeeda Bai
- Ishaan Khatter as Maan Kapoor
- Tanya Maniktala as Lata Mehra
- Rasika Dugal as Savita Mehra Kapoor
- Mahira Kakkar as Rupa Mehra
- Ram Kapoor as Mahesh Kapoor
- Gagan Dev Riar as Pran Kapoor
- Vivek Gomber as Arun Mehra
- Vivaan Shah as Varun Mehra
- Shahana Goswami as Meenakshi Chatterji Mehra
- Mikhail Sen as Amit Chatterji
- Namit Das as Haresh Khanna
- Danesh Razvi as Kabir Durrani
- Joyeeta Dutta as Tasneem
- Sharvari Deshpande as Malati
- Shujaat Khan as Ustad Majeed Khan
- Shubham Saraf as Firoz Khan
- Randeep Hooda as Billy Irani
- Aamir Bashir as Nawab of Baitar
- Ranvir Shorey as Waris
- Vijay Varma as Rasheed
- Kulbhushan Kharbanda as Kishen Chand Seth
- Vinay Pathak as L.N. Agrawal
- Manoj Pahwa as Raja Of Marh
- Sadaf Jafar as Bibbo
- Mansi Multani
- Amrita Dass as the Sweet Lady
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date [4] | UK viewers (millions) | |
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1 | "Episode 1" | Mira Nair | Andrew Davies | 26 July 2020 | 4.60[5] | |
Lata’s sister Savita marries and their mother says Lata is next. Lata meets Kabir. She learns that he is a Muslim. Savita’s politician father-in-law is asked to help when a temple is built near a mosque, raising tensions. Savita’s brother-in-law becomes infatuated with an older woman, a singer and courtesan. Lata arranges to see Kabir in secret. | ||||||
2 | "Episode 2" | Mira Nair | Andrew Davies | 2 August 2020 | 3.41[6] | |
Lata and Kabir continue to see each other in secret. Maan also visits Saeeda regularly. Rupa finds out about Lata and decides they will go to Calcutta. Maan returns home drunk and his father throws him out. Saeeda says he should go and stay with her sister’s tutor. Meenakshi takes the Mehras to a party where Lata meets Meenakshi’s brother Amit, a highly regarded poet. | ||||||
3 | "Episode 3" | Mira Nair | Andrew Davies | 9 August 2020 | 2.90[7] | |
Amit shows Lata round the city and they become friends. Rupa visits a friend in Lucknow to find a “suitable boy”. Maan witnesses poverty and abuse by Rasheed’s father. He becomes popular with the villagers but he wants to return to Saeeda. Rupa is introduced to Haresh and they visit his shoe factory. Lata is visited during the night. Firoz is seeing Saeeda’s sister Tasneem in secret. Rupa and Lata return to Calcutta. Kedarnath and Veena are separated from their son during a stampede. | ||||||
4 | "Episode 4" | Mira Nair | Andrew Davies | 16 August 2020 | TBD | |
Bhaskar is found safe and well. Haresh resigns when his boss doesn’t support him but finds a job with a European company. Savita gives birth. Lata joins the student drama society production of Twelfth Night, meeting Kabir again. Maan upsets Saeeda. Maan and Firoz are confronted by a mob as tensions between Hindus and Muslins rise. Lata isn’t sure a relationship with Kabir would work. |
Production
Development
In May 2017, Charlotte Moore, BBC's Director of Content, announced that A Suitable Boy adaptation written by Andrew Davies was under development. In May 2019, the six-part series was officially commissioned by BBC Studios, with Indian filmmaker Mira Nair being brought on board as director. Produced on a budget of £16 million, it is one of the most expensive BBC series ever made.[8][9]
Release
The series premiered in the United Kingdom on 26 July 2020 on BBC One.[14]
Netflix is the exclusive distributor of the series for all global territories, except continental North America and China.[15]
References
- "BBC - Cast announced for BBC One's A Suitable Boy, the first screen adaptation of Vikram Seth's classic novel - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. 12 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020.
- "Ishaan Khatter joins Tabu in Mira Nair's film adaptation of Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy- Entertainment News, Firstpost". Firstpost. 12 August 2019.
- Watson, Fay (13 August 2019). "A Suitable Boy BBC start date, cast, trailer, plot: When does A Suitable Boy air?". Daily Express. Archived from the original on 13 August 2019.
- "A Suitable Boy - Listings". BBC One. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
- Goldbart, Max (27 July 2020). "Suitable Boy intrigues 4.6m". Broadcast.
- Goldbart, Max (4 August 2020). "Genre overview tables". Broadcast.
- Goldbart, Max (11 August 2020). "Genre overview tables". Broadcast.
- Tartaglione, Nancy (5 May 2017). "Andrew Davies Adapting Vikram Seth's 'A Suitable Boy' For BBC One, Lookout Point". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020.
- India, Press Trust of (21 May 2019). "Mira Nair's 'A Suitable Boy' all set to roll". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 6 October 2019.
- "Rasika Dugal, Namit Das join Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy". India Today. 30 September 2019. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019.
- "Meet the cast of BBC One's A Suitable Boy". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020.
- "A Suitable Boy: Mira Nair's BBC adaptation of Vikram Seth's book, featuring Ishaan Khatter, Tabu goes on floor". Firstpost. 7 September 2019. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019.
- "Where is A Suitable Boy filmed? Your location guide to the BBC and Netflix adaptation". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020.
- Watson, Fay (11 July 2020). "A Suitable Boy release date: When is A Suitable Boy out on BBC One?". Daily Express. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- Frater, Patrick (15 July 2020). "BBC's 'A Suitable Boy' Vikram Seth Adaptation Heads to Netflix". Variety.