Indian period drama A Suitable Boy to premiere on Acorn TV

A Suitable Boy, the six-part adaptation of Vikram Seth’s classic novel, will be premiering on Acorn TV next month.

The BBC drama was adapted by award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies (Pride and Prejudice, War and Peace) and directed by internationally acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake, Salaam Bombay!), marking her television debut. The series also boasts of an all-star Indian cast as it tells the tale of the headstrong student Lata Mehra and her coming of age in North India in 1951.

As reported by Variety, A Suitable Boy was the first ever television series to close the Toronto International Film Festival and it was also screened as apart of the “Special Presentations” at the AFI Fest. The show was shot on-location in various places in India and stars Indian screen legend Tabu (The Namesake, Life of Pi, Andhadhun) alongside Bollywood leading man Ishaan Khatter (Beyond the Clouds, Dhadak) and rising star Tanya Maniktala in the central role of Lata.

Nair said this about the project:

“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.”

Here is the synopsis of the series:

“A Suitable Boy follows nineteen-year-old university student Lata (Tanya Maniktala), who seems to have her life already mapped out thanks to old traditions and an overbearing mother who wants to find her a suitable husband. Torn between romance and responsibility and inspired by rebellious writers and daring new ideas, Lata is determined to decide her own future in a newly independent India, boldly breaking free of its past. Connected to Lata through their siblings’ marriage, wayward Maan (Ishaan Khatter) wants every drop of excitement from life. However when he becomes infatuated with the glamorous courtesan Saaeda Bai (Tabu), the consequences could be catastrophic…”

A Suitable Boy will premiere on December 7 on Acorn TV.