Freida Pinto to lead Netflix’s series based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s short stories

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 Netflix in April and will feature eight episodes.

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.