Game of Thrones actor Staz Nair to star in Bradford-based drama Virdee

A Game of Thrones actor is to star in Bradford-based crime thriller Virdee, the BBC has confirmed.

Staz Nair, whose other credits include Rebel Moon, will play Detective Harry Virdee, a Sikh police officer who has been disowned by his family for marrying a Muslim woman.

Nair called it an "absolute honour" to be part of a "vibrant and complex story about assimilating culture".

The show, based on AA Dhand's novels, is being filmed in Bradford.

Nair played Qhono in Game of Thrones.

The 32-year-old said of Virdee: "This show leads with vulnerability more than any detective drama I've ever seen, and it's a privilege to be bringing AA Dhand's hope for his city to life."

Other cast members include Aysha Kala, who plays Virdee's wife Saima Virdee, Nina Singh, who plays Harry's niece Tara Virdee, and Vikash Bhai, playing Harry's brother-in-law Riaz Hyatt.

The show's score will be composed by Hans Zimmer.

During the course of the show, Harry struggles with the abandonment of his family and thinks it might be time to attempt to reunite with them.

With his personal life in chaos, he must also hunt down a serial killer targeting the Asian community.

Virdee creator, writer and executive producer AA Dhand said Nair brings his character to life "with a real physical presence and an emotional depth that instantly resonated".

To assist Zimmer, who created the scores for Interstellar and Dark Knight, trainees from Screen Academy Bradford will get a "hands-on experience of composing for screen and to assist with the composing of the series score", according to show bosses.

Paul Trijbits, Executive Producer for production company Magical Society, said the show is "the first mainstream British Asian-led, returning crime series for BBC One".

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