BBC's new crime series Virdee is set to hit screens but who are the stars bringing this thrilling novel adaptation to life?. Based on AA Dhand's best-selling book series, Virdee will premiere tonight, Monday, February 10, at 9pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The plot follows Detective Harry Virdee (played by Staz Nair) as he hunts down a serial killer terrorising Bradford's Asian community. Things escalate when the killer abducts a police chief's son, leading Harry to seek help from his brother-in-law, the head of the country's largest drug cartel but is this a wise move?.
Here's everything you need to know about the cast of Virdee ahead of its debut. Detective Harry Virdee is not only dealing with a serial killer when show begins but also familial tension after being disowned by his parents for marrying a Muslim woman. Actor Staz Nair is best known for his role as Qhono, Daenerys Targaryen's (Emilia Clarke) bodyguard in Game of Thrones. He has also appeared in the Rebel Moon film franchise, Humans and The CW's Supergirl.
Aysha Kala plays Saima Virdee, Harry Virdee's Muslim wife who finds herself entangled in his family drama. Kala began her TV career as Sita Desia in Shameless and has since featured in Indian Summers, Vicious, Call the Midwife, Master of None and Criminal Record. Nina Singh, known for her roles in The Ex-Wife, Chemistry of Death and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, plays Tara Virdee in the series. She's best recognised for her role as Tasha in Sky's The Lazarus Project.
In this series, she portrays Harry's niece Tara, a budding crime reporter. Vikash Bhai steps into the shoes of Riaz Hyatt, Harry's brother-in-law and drug kingpin. When the police chief's son is kidnapped, Harry turns to Riaz for help, but the BBC hints that this alliance could spell disaster for both. Bhai has previously appeared in dramas such as Netflix's The Stranger, Prime Video's Hanna, Limbo and Crossfire.
Elizabeth Berrington, who played Ruby Fry in Waterloo Road, Paula Kosh in Stella and Dawn Stevenson in The Syndicate, takes on the role of DS Clare Conway, one of Detective Virdee's colleagues. Recently, Berrington has featured in Brassic, Lost Boys and Fairies and ITV's Ridley. Danyal Ismail, known for his roles in McDonald and Dodds, Ridley and The Outrun, plays DS Amin, another colleague of Conway's.
Kulvinder Ghir and Sudha Bhuchar portray Ranjit and Jyoti Virdee, Harry's disapproving parents who were not pleased when he married his wife Saima. Ghir is remembered for starring in the sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, while Bhuchar was serial killer Meena MacKenzie in EastEnders in the 1990s. The cast also features Justice League's Toni May, Gangs of London's Andi Jashy, Double Blind's Ashkay Kumar and The Bay's Conor Lawson.
