Freida Pinto To Lead Netflix Series Based On Jhumpa Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth
Indian actor Freida Pinto is set to headline Unaccustomed Earth, a series adaptation of author Jhumpa Lahiri's short story collection of the same title.
The project was announced by streaming service Netflix in April and will feature eight episodes, according to entertainment news outlet Variety.
Pinto, known for starring in critically-acclaimed and award-winning movies such as Slumdog Millionaire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Love Sonia, will essay the role of Parul Chaudhury.
Unaccustomed Earth is described as 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," the official logline read.
The series will be written by John Wells, best known for developing hit American show "Shameless" and directing movies such as "August: Osage County" and "Burnt", in collaboration with Madhuri Shekar, who will serve as the showrunner.
Ritesh Batra, the director of The Lunchbox and "Photograph, will helm and executive produce the first and second episodes.
Filmmaker 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 and Celia Costas. Her 2003 novel The Namesake was famously adapted into a 2006 film by Mira Nair, starring Kal Penn, Tabu, and Irrfan Khan.
Unaccustomed Earth will be produced by Warner Bros Television, where Wells is under an overall deal.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
an hour ago
- News18
How Sara Ali Khan Lost 45 Kgs By Following 'No Sugar, No Milk, And No Carbs' Diet
Last Updated: Battling Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Sara Ali Khan has always been candid about her health and weight loss journey. The actor lost 45 kgs before entering Bollywood. Sara Ali Khan, daughter of former Bollywood couple Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, is currently receiving praises for Anurag Basu's Metro… In Dino, which hit screens on July 4. Besides her acting credits, the 29-year-old is also famous for her weight loss journey that has inspired several of her fans, especially women who have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or PCOS. The condition, which is quite common, causes major hormonal imbalances and can even lead to weight gain. Despite facing the problem, Sara Ali Khan went on to shed extra weight from her body. How Much Weight Did Sara Ali Khan Lose? As reported by NDTV, Sara lost a whopping 45 kgs after following a mix of a healthy diet, cardio and different exercises. From being 96 kg in her early life, Sara has now come down to 51 kg. Why Did Sara Ali Khan Lose Weight? Coming from a Bollywood family, Sara Ali Khan always aspired to join the Indian film industry, driven by her deep love for acting. In a candid conversation on Ranveer Allahbadia's (BeerBiceps) podcast, Sara opened up about her weight loss journey, revealing that it was filmmaker Karan Johar who urged her to lose weight before casting her in a project, even jokingly saying she needed to 'lose half of herself." Reflecting on that phase, Sara admitted that she was significantly overweight and not healthy 'on any level." She also spoke about how her hormonal condition made it harder, saying, 'Every time I overeat or hit 60 kilos, you can visibly tell I'm not okay," as quoted by NDTV. Sara Ali Khan's Weight Loss Journey In order to remove extra kilos from her body, Sara followed a holistic approach, wherein she strictly followed a healthy diet and used to workout on daily basis. Even today, Sara is often seen sharing photographs and videos of her working out on social media. For fans wanting to know more about her daily diet, Sara earlier told Pinkvilla that she follows a 'no sugar, no milk, and no carbs" diet. Sara follows a mix of cardio exercises that includes cycling, running, and Pilates. Besides this, she likes to keep herself busy by doing yoga and dancing. tags : health and fitness lifestyle Sara Ali Khan Weight Loss view comments Location : Delhi, India, India First Published: July 19, 2025, 18:52 IST News lifestyle » health-and-fitness How Sara Ali Khan Lost 45 Kgs By Following 'No Sugar, No Milk, And No Carbs' Diet Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Reel Life: NFAI preserves the 8mm world of Jai Dordi Vakil
Discarding doesn't come easy to Delhi-based ethnomusicologist and archivist Shubha Chaudhuri. Which explains the boxes of vintage sarees and a suitcase containing black-and-white family photographs, some featuring faces even her 98-year-old mother cannot recognize. It took years, but she finally managed to clear out the Colaba flat of her mother's "pretty, practical and proper" elder sister, Jai Dordi Vakil, who passed away in 2022, two months shy of 100. Among the belongings, Chaudhuri—executor of her aunt's estate—uncovered a projector, Ganeshotsav slides, various untitled frames, and most notably, reels of 8mm and Super 8mm home movies that have now found a home at Pune's National Film Archive of India (NFAI). A popular amateur film format introduced in the 1930s, 8mm was compact, affordable and easy to use, making it the go-to medium for home movie makers long before digital video became accessible. Described by NFAI as "a window into mid-20th-century life," the reels chronicle a life well-travelled and quietly documented. "I don't know what's on the reels or what condition they're in," says Chaudhuri. "But I'm sure there's travel footage and shots of military planes that could be of interest," she adds, having donated the archive with help from her friend, architect-filmmaker Nachiket Patwardhan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ready for a Glow-Up? [Get Your Reading Now] Undo Glow-Up Packages from $15 [Sign Up] Undo Affect Your Future Now! (Book Today) Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai Born in 1922, Vakil studied at St Xavier's College in Mumbai, learned French and later worked at the Indian embassy in Brussels. During a posting in Delhi, she met Air Force officer Jamshed Dordi, her future husband. Together, they travelled widely—across Africa, Japan, Italy, Hong Kong, Austria, Nepal and Bhutan, and within India to Gir, Bharatpur, Kashmir, Goa and Mahabaleshwar—footage of which now survives on her 8mm reels. Though not a professional filmmaker, Vakil—whom NFAI calls an "amateur filmmaker"—had a cinematic eye. "She was technically oriented. She would repair her own car," says Chaudhuri. "While she loved documenting her travels, she couldn't pursue a career in the visual arts as life kept her moving." Safaris, American highways, European streets--her flashgun lapped it all up. "She didn't have children. Whenever my mother and I visited, she'd set up the projector and play her films," says Chaudhuri, who also found a box of alphabet cutouts used to paste titles onto the reels. "Home movies offer glimpses into domestic and communal experiences," says Prakash Magdum, managing director, NFDC-NFAI. "They're fragments of memory, capturing cultural and emotional landscapes across time and class." Preserving such material isn't easy. "Celluloid often arrives with an unknown history—how it was stored, whether it was rewound or handled well," explains Magdum. "We stabilize and preserve it under archival conditions." Once digitized, curated excerpts may be made accessible to students and researchers. "We're already collaborating with cultural institutions and looking to expand engagement," says Magdum. Vakil's story is a reminder that the visual history of Indian cinema is shaped not only by stars and studios but also by women with cameras and quiet curiosity. "She put in effort labelling slides, camera gear, old photos," says Chaudhuri. After Jamshed's death in 1995, Vakil—who loved Western classical music and concerts—seemed to withdraw. "She had stopped labelling things after 2015. Though she had four cupboards full of pretty clothes, she would wear the same ten pairs. " Vakil visited Iran with friends, and once came to Delhi, recalls Chaudhuri. But that was that: "She wasn't one to travel solo."
News18
2 hours ago
- News18
R Ashwin Tells Harbhajan Singh: 'If You Were Jealous Of Me, I Think...'
Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh seemed to have cleared the air around their relationship publicly. In an interview on Ashwin's YouTube channel show #KuttiStoriesWithAsh, a trailer of which was released on Saturday, the two great off-spinners talked about whether Harbhajan was ever jealous of Ashwin after the latter took over his place in the Indian men's team across formats. Ashwin began his India Test career in 2011. At that time, Harbhajan had already given 13 years to the country, and his powers were on the decline. For some time, the duo co-existed, but eventually, the younger spinner started to dominate and even went past several of Harbhajan's records after his retirement. Rumors of 'rift' between them were mostly internet buzz, created over the senior tweaker's critique on his junior in media.
