Meet the cast of ITV's Next of Kin
This new thriller tells the story of a British Pakistani family who feel the shockwaves of a bombing in London and a murder on the other side of the world
Next of Kin introduces us to a British Pakistani family who are about to have their lives ripped apart. On the same day as a terrorist bomb explodes in London, the oldest Shirani sibling is abducted in Lahore – and to make matters worse, his son is missing from his university dorm room in England.
ITV's six-part thriller from husband-and-wife writing team Paul Rutman and Natasha Narayan stars Archie Panjabi and Jack Davenport as a married couple who must grapple with forces that threaten to tear their extended family apart.
Here are the main characters – and where you've seen them before:
Archie Panjabi – Mona Harcourt
Who does she play? Described as a "whip-smart" doctor, Mona lives a happy family life with her husband Guy, son Sammi and mother Mrs Shirani in West London. On the way home from work one day in a taxi, while talking to her brother in Lahore on the phone, she witnesses the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Shortly afterwards, her brother disappears. Mona is fiercely loyal and enjoys a close relationship with her extended family.
Where have I seen her before? Archie Panjabi is most famous for playing Kalinda in The Good Wife for six years. Her role as the unflappable in-house private investigator at a prestigious law firm earned her an Emmy Award. She has also recently starred in The Fall, Shetland, Power Monkeys and Blindspot.
Jack Davenport – Guy Harcourt
Who does he play? Mona's husband Guy is a political lobbyist working in Westminster. He is laid back and non-confrontational, a loving family man who uses his contacts and influence to build a successful career.
Where have I seen him before? Starting his career with This Life and The Talented Mr Ripley, Jack Davenport will also be familiar as James Norrington from Pirates of the Caribbean – the British officer whose life became entangled with Jack Sparrow and his adventures. Since then, he's starred in White King, Breathless, Flashforward, Smash and Kingsman. He also made a guest appearance in his co-star Archie Panjabi's show, The Good Wife, as Frank Asher. He is married to the actress Michelle Gomez and his father was Chariots of Fire star Nigel Davenport.
Navin Chowdhry – Kareem Shirani
Who does he play? Kareem Shirani is one of four siblings. Like Mona, he is a doctor: his charity runs a clinic in Lahore, and he is dedicated to providing healthcare and life-saving surgery in the country where he was born. Kareem is father to Danny, from his first marriage to his late wife. He has since remarried to Rahana and had a daughter. On his way to the airport to catch a flight from Lahore to London he is abducted.
Where have I seen him before? Perhaps as Tony in The End of the F***ing World, Kieran in The Replacement, or Anwar in Doctor Foster. Recently he made a brief cameo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi as a resistance cargo pilot, and he also played DC Asap Qureshi in A Touch of Cloth.
Viveik Kalra – Danish "Danny" Shirani
Who does he play? Danny, 19, is Kareem's son from a previous marriage – but his mother passed away. A young athlete, he is a part of the extended Shirani family and is away studying at university.
Where have I seen him before? This is a breakout role for Viveik Kalra as he makes his first on-screen appearance in Next of Kin.
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