Guwahati, Assam: In a development that has set the Indian entertainment landscape abuzz, acclaimed author Jhumpa Lahiri’s celebrated short story collection, “Unaccustomed Earth,” is all set for a grand adaptation into a Netflix series of the same name. The streaming giant, which first announced the project back in April, confirmed that the series will unfurl over eight compelling episodes, as extensively reported by global entertainment powerhouse, Variety.
Adding a significant layer of anticipation for Indian audiences, globally recognised actor Freida Pinto has been roped in to essay the lead role of Parul Chaudhury. Pinto, whose filmography boasts of critically lauded and award-winning features such as “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” and “Love Sonia,” brings her considerable talent to this highly anticipated venture.
The series itself is being pitched as an “epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging.” The official logline paints an even more vivid picture, describing “Unaccustomed Earth” as a narrative “rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters” that invites viewers “into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA.” The plot promises to thicken when “a star-crossed romance between a devoted wife and her long lost love comes to light, a scandalous affair is born and new battle lines are drawn in this intensely interconnected immigrant community.”
The creative team behind the series is equally impressive. John Wells, renowned for his work on the hit American show “Shameless” and directing films like “August: Osage County” and “Burnt,” will be penning the series in collaboration with Madhuri Shekar, who is also slated to serve as the showrunner. Lending his distinct directorial vision, Ritesh Batra, celebrated for films like “The Lunchbox” and “Photograph,” will be helming and executive producing the initial two episodes. Filmmaker Nisha Ganatra, who originally optioned the book and was instrumental in developing the series, will also take on executive producer duties. Jhumpa Lahiri herself will be an executive producer, alongside Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow, and Celia Costas. This isn’t Lahiri’s first tryst with screen adaptations; her 2003 novel “The Namesake” was famously brought to life by Mira Nair in a 2006 film starring Kal Penn, Tabu, and Irrfan Khan. The series will be produced by Warner Bros Television, under which Wells holds an overall deal.
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