Tabu, Ishaan Khatter in Mira Nair’s Adaptation of ‘A Suitable Boy’

Tabu has also starred in Nair’s ‘The Namesake’.

Tabu and Ishaan Khatter will star in Mira Nair’s adaptation of A Suitable Boy.

(Photo Courtesy: IANS; Instagram)

Tabu and Ishaan Khatter have been signed on to star in Mira Nair’s adaptation of Vikram Seth’s 1993 novel A Suitable Boy. Tabu, who worked with Nair on their critically-acclaimed film The Namesake, an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's novel, will play courtesan Saaeda Bai in the six-part series by the BBC. Khatter will star as Maan Kapoor, the headstrong son of a politician who is besotted by Saeeda Bai. The drama is being penned by British screenwriter Andrew Davies and produced by Lookout Point.

Set in 1951 amidst newly liberated and partitioned India, A Suitable Boy is a tale of four families told through spirited university student Lata, who will be played by newcomer Tanya Maniktala, and her three suitors – Kabir, Haresh and Amit.

Speaking about the project, Tabu said, "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.”

Nair said she decided to work on the screen adaptation 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 in a statement.

The show is scheduled to premiere in June 2020.

(With inputs from PTI)