Freida Pinto is set for a major role in Netflix‘s upcoming series adaptation of the Jhumpa Lahiri short story collection “Unaccustomed Earth.”
Variety has learned that Pinto will play Parul Chaudhury in the series, which was originally announced in April. As previously reported, Netflix has commissioned eight episodes.
The official logline for the show states that it is “an epic, soapy, and culturally vibrant drama about a tight-knit Indian American community navigating love, desire, and belonging. Rich with nuance, passion, and unforgettable characters, ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ invites you into the elite and insular Indian-American community of Cambridge, MA. 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.”
Pinto is perhaps best known for her breakout role in the Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which marked her feature debut. She has since starred in films like “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Knight of Cups,” “Hillbilly Elegy,” and “Mr. Malcolm’s List.” In television, Pinto is known for her roles in “Guerilla,” “Surface,” and “The Path.”
She is repped by CAA and Principal Entertainment LA.
John Wells will co-write the adaptation with Madhuri Shekar . Both will executive produce, with Wells serving as showrunner via John Wells Productions (JWP). Ritesh Batra will direct and executive produce the first and second episodes. Nisha Ganatra, who had originally optioned the book and developed the series, will also executive produce. Lahiri will executive produce as well, along with Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow of JWP, and Celia Costas. Warner Bros. Television, where Wells is under an overall deal, will produce.
This is the latest Lahiri book to be adapted for the screen. Her novel “The Namesake” was made into a film in 2006 starring Kal Penn, Tabu, and Irrfan Khan.
