Jhumpa Lahiri’s 2008 book Unaccustomed Earth is now an eight-episode series starring Freida Pinto and Siddharth. The show follows Parul, who returns to Cambridge after a cancer diagnosis and reconnects with an old love. Freida said, "It's the kind of South Asian American community that we've never seen on television."
It is always special when a beloved book gets a new life on screen. This time, Jhumpa Lahiri's internationally acclaimed 2008 short story collection, Unaccustomed Earth, is being adapted into an eight-episode series. Starring Freida Pinto and Siddharth, the show brings together characters and stories from the original collection, weaving them into a continuous narrative.
Unaccustomed Earth trailer
The trailer introduces Freida Pinto as Parul Chaudhary, a married Indian-American woman and mother who begins to realise that she has been sleepwalking through life. After being diagnosed with cancer, she returns from Mumbai to her old life at Cambridge, US. The change brings her face-to-face with memories of her past, including an old love played by Siddharth, whom she had lost to an arranged marriage. As the two reconnect, old feelings resurface, setting off a series of events that complicate Parul's personal life and relationships.
What Freida Pinto said about Unaccustomed Earth
Speaking about the show, Freida said it would immerse audiences in the traditions, food and culture of an Indian-American Bengali family. She explained how the series explores a community that has rarely been represented on television in such a detailed manner.
She said, "It's the kind of South Asian American community that we've never seen on television. We haven't seen it before through this very holistic, culture-embracing way, while also dealing with the complexities of what it is to be this tight-knit community. Every character has something universal. From the perspective of Parul's character is the question, 'How far would you go to live the dream that you really want to live? And are you up for the consequences?'"
More about Unaccustomed Earth
The eight-episode family drama is created and written by Madhuri Shekar, known for her work on 3 Body Problem and The Nevers. Apart from Freida Pinto and Siddharth, the ensemble cast includes Sarayu Blue, Indraneil Sengupta, Adi Roy and Iyla Sundarsingh McKaig.
Produced by John Wells Productions and Warner Bros., the series is executive produced by Shekar, John Wells, Ritesh Batra, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nisha Ganatra, Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow and Celia Costas. Batra, known for directing Irrfan Khan's critically acclaimed film The Lunchbox, will also direct and executive produce the first two episodes.
Before Unaccustomed Earth, another of Jhumpa Lahiri's celebrated literary works made it to the big screen. The Namesake (2006), directed by Mira Nair and starring Irrfan and Tabu, was widely acclaimed.
Unaccustomed Earth will premiere on Netflix on December 17.