Doctor Who's Sacha Dhawan drops out of thriller Virdee – replacement confirmed
Rebel Moon's Staz Nair will be taking over as lead in the upcoming BBC series, which is now filming in Bradford.
Sacha Dhawan has pulled out of the upcoming BBC One crime series Virdee, with the Doctor Who star set to be replaced as the title character in the thriller by Rebel Moon's Staz Nair.
According to Deadline, Dhawan's withdrawal from the six-parter is a result of a scheduling conflict, with the actor saying that he "would like to wish everyone the best of luck with the series".
Nair – whose other acting credits include Game of Thrones and Supergirl – said it was "an absolute honour" to be taking on the role of Bradford cop Harry Virdee in the show, which is adapted by AA Dhand from his own series of crime novels.
The actor described Virdee as a "vibrant and complex story about assimilating culture and what we’re willing to do to protect who and what we love", and added that the show "leads with vulnerability more than any detective drama I’ve ever seen".
Other key additions to the cast include Aysha Kala (Criminal Record) as Saima Virdee, Harry’s wife, Nina Singh (The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry) as his niece Tara who is a keen crime reporter and Vikash Bhai (Crossfire) as his brother-in-law Riaz Hyatt.
More like this
Kulvinder Ghir (Foundation) and Sudha Bhuchar (Expats) will play Harry Virdee’s parents, Ranjit and Jyoti.
Meanwhile, Henpocalypse! and The Nevers star Elizabeth Berrington has joined the cast as DS Clare Conway, while Danyal Ismail (All the Lights Still Burning) will take on the role of DS Amin.
The cast is rounded out by Tomi May (Justice League), Andi Jashy (Gangs of London), Hussina Raja (Look at Us), Akshay Kumar (Double Blind), Madiha Ansari (Home Sick), Jason Patel (Unicorns), Conor Lowson (The Bay) and Rupert Procter (Doctors).
Speaking about the ensemble, Dhand called it "a truly diverse cast with an abundance of talent, but most importantly real passion for this show".
And of Nair specifically, he added that the actor "brings Harry Virdee authentically to life not only with a real physical presence, but also an emotional depth that instantly resonated with us all".
Read more:
- The Marlow Murder Club creator first pitched it as TV series before book
- The Responder shares first look at Martin Freeman in season 2
First announced by the BBC's director of drama Lindsay Salt at the Edinburgh TV Festival in 2023, the series is currently filming in Bradford, and will follow the titular police officer after he is disowned by his Sikh family for marrying Saima, who is Muslim.
With his personal life in chaos, Virdee must hunt down a killer targeting the Asian community.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The official synopsis continues: "When the murderer kidnaps a local police chief’s son and holds the entire city to ransom, Harry realises 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 make a choice: save himself and his family or save his city. He will not be able to do both."
As well as boasting an impressive cast, the BBC has also revealed that legendary film composer Hans Zimmer will be writing the title theme and score for the series.
Virdee will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
