Bend It Like Beckham Fame Parminder Nagra To Star In Crime Drama DI Ray

Popular for the role of Gurinder Chadha in Bend It Like Beckham film, actor Parminder Nagra is going to be seen in a crime drama series titled DI Ray. She will play the lead character of a police officer Rachita Ray who takes on a case that makes her battle the personal conflict between her British and South Asian identity, as per reports.

The four-part series will be set in Birmingham and is created by the pair from Line of Duty, Maya Sondhi and Jed Mercurio.

DI will probe a murder case while tackling the complications of racism at the workplace. In the underworld of Birmingham, the series will highlight what its like for the lead character to be British and still feel like the 'other'.

Parminder Nagra was earlier seen in The Blacklist and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She reportedly said that she is looking forward to be back in the UK after such a challenging time globally for the new project.
She said, "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."

The series, DI Ray has been written by Sondhi, who also stars on hit BBC police drama series Line of Duty. She had also written episodes for the shows like Ackley Bridge and Eastenders. Sondhi being a British-Asian woman herself, said, "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

Mercurio, who has created Line of Duty, will executive producer DI Ray along under his banner HTM Television along with Black Mirror's Madonna Baptiste. The director of the show of Alex Pillai who has earlier directed episodes of Riverdale and Bridgerton. Charlotte Surtees of Code 404 will also be the producer.

Mercurio said, "Everyone at HTM Television is thrilled to be collaborating with writer Maya Sondhi, director Alex Pillai and star Parminder Nagra on such a thought-provoking series. DI Ray is first and foremost a thriller, while Maya’s writing poses complex and timely questions about the nature of personal ethnic identity."