Star of new BBC crime thriller series, Virdee, hints at ‘high stakes and twists’

Written, set and filmed in Bradford, the upcoming six-part drama tells the story of DCI Harry Virdee – a dedicated Bradford cop caught between good and evil. 

It is based on the best-selling book series by Bradford pharmacist turned author, AA Dhand.

Behind the scenes of filming for Virdee (Image: BBC) DCI Virdee’s love for his wife Saima led to him being estranged from his family, who disapproved of his interfaith marriage.

Meanwhile a turf war is brewing in the underbelly of the city with the police losing its grip on gang rivalries. 

When a young dealer is murdered, Harry soon realises that he is going to need the help of his brother-in-law Riaz, a drugs kingpin who runs the largest cartel in the county. 

The leading role has been brought to life by Staz Nair, known for his roles in the HBO series Game of Thrones and the CW series Supergirl.

“Virdee is a beautiful blend of genres,” said Staz.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen a series that combines a crime thriller with a family drama along with a heightened/Gotham-esque storyline about gangland politics.

Stills from the new Virdee series (Image: BBC) “Harry is a man who will protect what he loves and who he loves at any cost.

“Every case is deeply personal to Harry.

“There’s a wonderful line in the first book, Streets of Darkness, that describes Harry’s morals and it says, ‘the difference between right and wrong for Harry Virdee is as thin as a sheet of ice’.

“There’s really something for everyone. If you like thrillers, high stakes and twists, it’s for you.

“If you like family drama that really delves into what we’re willing to do for those we love, the secrets we keep – then you’ve got that too. This is a show about Bradford peppered with the Hans Zimmer music and Batman/Gotham influence.

Hans Zimmer, pictured, is one of the composers who created the main theme (Image: Contributed) “It truly has something for everyone and what is really cool about Virdee is that it’s an almost all South Asian cast but it’s not a story about Asians for Asians. It’s a story about family, about love and loyalty – concepts that everyone understands and can relate to.”

It comes after the official trailer for Virdee gave people an action-packed glimpse of what’s to come.

Filming took place across the city with locations including a shop unit on Spencer Road, Harold Park,  City Hall, Little Germany, the Grade II-listed Old Building on Great Horton Road, Peel Park Terrace.

The theme music for the Virdee series has been created by legendary composer Hans Zimmer, and James Everingham.

Hans Zimmer is the talented composer behind soundtracks like Interstellar, The Gladiator and Inception.

The musician previously spoke about his connection to Bradford, describing how he writes all his music for a fictitious woman called Doris, who lives in the city.

Virdee will air on BBC One at 9pm on Monday, February 10, 2025, with episodes being released weekly.

Viewers can watch episodes on BBC iPlayer.