Rasika Dugal, Namit Das join cast of Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy

After Tabu, Ishaan Khatter, Vijay Varma and Tanya Maniktala, a host of names have joined the BBC production of Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy in India. Rasika Dugal, Namit Das, Gagan Dev Riar, Danesh Razvi, Mikhail Sen and Mahira Kakkar have joined the six-episode series.

Dugal will play Savita, sister of the main character Lata (Maniktala) while Namit Das plays enterprising shoe businessman Haresh. Gagan Dev Riar plays Savita's husband Pran Kapoor. Danesh Razvi will play rising cricketer Kabir while Mikhail Sen will play acclaimed poet Amit. Das, Razvi and Sen are all prospective suitors for Lata. Mahira Kakkar will play Lata’s mother, Rupa Mehra.

Filming for the BBC production, written by Andrew Davies, began earlier this month in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, among other locations in India. The filmmaker shared her excitement at finally beginning the project.

In a statement, Dugal said, "I have always been mesmerized by Mira Nair’s films. The attention to every person in her frame, the sensitivity, gentleness and fun in her work had always driven me to watch her films again and again... She is such a kind and vibrant person. Working with her has been on my bucket list. And there couldn’t be more joy than to do so with a book like A Suitable Boy."

Das, who has worked with Nair before, said, "Haresh has a lot of ambition, depth and layers to him, so he is very interesting to portray. My association with Mira continues from the musical Monsoon Wedding (2001). I am really grateful to her, the crew and everyone associated with the project and feel truly blessed to be doing this alongside such wonderful co-stars."

Set in 1951, in a newly independent India, the story of A Suitable Boy, adapted from Vikram Seth's popular eponymous novel, is focused on four families, with special regard to university student Lata's search for a suitable boy to marry.