The BBC has released the first images from AA Dhand’s crime thriller Virdee.
Set and filmed entirely in Bradford, the 6-part drama has been adapted for the screen by Dhand, and is produced by Magical Society.
The title theme has been composed by Hans Zimmer (Interstellar, The Dark Night) with James Everingham for Bleeding Fingers and will also feature Shashwat Sachdev.
The show tells the story of Detective Harry Virdee, a dedicated cop, estranged from his Sikh family after marrying Saima, a Muslim woman. Meanwhile a turf war is brewing in the city with the police losing its grip on gang rivalries as they spill out onto the streets of Bradford.
The 6 x 60 minute show will air as Bradford becomes 2025 UK City of Culture.
It’s been directed by Mark Tonderai (Gotham, Doctor Who, Foundation), Milad Alami (Bullshit, When the Dust Settles) and Mo Ali (Hijack, Cobra). The series is executive produced by Paul Trijbits (Jane Eyre, The Casual Vacancy, Saving Mr Banks) for Magical Society, AA Dhand, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Stella Nwimo (Gangs of London) and Himesh Kar (Murder Manual) serve as the producers.
As part of the production, the team has partnered with Bradford Council, WYCA, Screen Yorkshire and the BBC to create Screen Academy Bradford, to offer a series of specific training programmes and employment pathways for new entrants, industry transfer and ‘step-up’ candidates.
