Parminder Nagra is returning from outer space for a grounded look at life in British law enforcement as a person of color. The “ER” alumna will follow-up her latest series, Sky One sci-fi “Intergalactic,” with “DI Ray.”
Set in Birmingham, the ITV four-part crime drama centers on Rachita Ray (Nagra), “a police officer who takes on a case that forces her to confront a lifelong personal conflict between her British identity and her South Asian heritage,” Deadline details. “The series will track a murder investigation whilst exploring the emotive subject of racism in the workplace. It asks difficult questions about what it’s like to be British but feel ‘other,’ while taking viewers through the murky underworld of Birmingham.”
“Line of Duty” actress and “Eastenders” scribe Maya Sondhi penned the script.
“I am so looking forward to getting back to the UK after such a challenging time globally to be part of this exciting new project. Written by Maya Sondhi and exec produced by the force that is Jed Mercurio, we are being helmed by an amazing team to bring something special to our story telling landscape,” said Nagra.
Sondhi added, “This is a project which is deeply personal for me as a British Asian Brummie woman. It’s only in the past 10 years or so I’ve really been able to truly embrace my heritage. So much of this show is my story and in telling it honestly, I hope others from all different backgrounds will relate.”
Speaking with The Guardian earlier this year, Nagra, whose other credits include “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “The Blacklist,” and “Bend It Like Beckham,” said, “I think [executives] know they can’t get away with not being diverse. But I worry that they think, ‘Oh, we need to have this sort of person in here, so we’ll put them in this role’ – to tick a box. And I don’t understand why, if there’s a role between 35 and 45, and not specific to a family, why I can’t be seen for it. It’s frustrating. People say it’s getting better but I’ve been having this same conversation for years, and I’m bored of it. But I keep going. And the landscape is changing for South Asian people – look at Priyanka Chopra leading shows and Riz Ahmed nominated for an Oscar. Maybe we’re able to tell our own stories a little more, or put ourselves in things that are atypical,” she observed.
