Virdee cast: Meet the stars of BBC crime drama with Staz Nair

The new series is set and filmed in Bradford, and has been created, written and executive produced by crime novelist AA Dhand. Virdee is based on Dhand's third book City of Sinners and is truly a rollercoaster of emotions as we dig into a brewing turf war in the city and a killer running rampage, with Virdee trying his hardest to save those closest to him.

Starring as the titular detective is Game of Thrones star Staz Nair, who described taking on the leading role as "actually terrifying" in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com.

He said: "The closest thing I can compare it to is a panic attack before coming over, because I was like, 'This a lot, a lot I need to do…' It was because I recognised the opportunity and the opportunity for representation and the complexity within that."

But who else stars alongside Nair? As the series is also a sprawling family drama, there's plenty of people and dynamics to get familiar with – but who's who? Read on for everything you need to know about the cast of BBC's Virdee.

Virdee cast: Full list of characters and actors in BBC thriller

The full cast list for Virdee is as follows but scroll on to find out more about the characters, plus where you may have seen the actors previously.

• Staz Nair as DCI Harry Virdee
• Aysha Kala as Saima Virdee
• Nina Singh as Tara Virdee
• Vikash Bhai as Riaz Hyatt
• Kulvinder Ghir as Ranjit Virdee
• Sudha Buchar as Jyoti Virdee
• Elizabeth Berrington as DS Clare Conway
• Danyal Ismail as DS Khalil Amin
• Tomi May as Enzo Tobin
• Andi Jashy as Vasil Shala
• Silas Carson as Jonathan Boardman
• Jack Archer as Alastair Boardman
• Hussina Raja as Nadia Ansari
• Connor Horrigan as Viktor
• Nichola Burley as Sophie Brodenham
• Hussina Raja as Nadia Ali
• Elaine Tan as Rebecca Armitage
• Ramon Tikaram as Jai Pawa
• Yousef Naseer as Ateeq Farooqi
• Sarah Pearson as Priti
• Akshay Kumar as Nazir Saed
• Manjinder Virk as Mandip Virdee
• Javed Khan as Ubaid Hyatt
• Tobias Jowett as Young Harry
• Usaamah Ibraheem Hussain as Young Riaz
• Charlie Mann as Paul King
• Wissam Naseer as Aaron Hyatt-Virdee

Staz Nair as DCI Harry Virdee

Who is Harry Virdee? A father, husband and detective, Harry is devoted to those he loves but is struggling to reckon with the fact that as his own son grows older, his Sikh parents disowned him years ago for marrying Saima, who is Muslim. As a killer ripples through his hometown and targets the South Asian community, he must search for the perpetrator and the truth.

Speaking about Harry's way of working, Nair told the BBC: "This man lives by his own moral compass and his own moral code and will do whatever he has to do to get the job done, even if that means surfing the line of the law."

Where have I seen Staz Nair? Nair first appeared on TV screens in The X Factor in 2012 as part of the band Times Red, going on to release a single. But in terms of acting, Nair is known for his roles as Qhono in Game of Thrones, Gordon in Humans, William Dey in Supergirl and as Tarak in both parts of the Rebel Moon films.

Aysha Kala as Saima Virdee

Who is Saima Virdee? Working as a nurse, Saima and Harry have been happily married for years now but have hit their fair share of hurdles, with Harry's family not wanting anything to do with her due to her religion. As their son Aaron grows up, Saima is keen to build bridges but is also fiercely protective of her family.

Where have I seen Aysha Kala? Aside from her numerous appearances on stage, Kala is known for a variety of screen roles including in Shameless, Indian Summers, Criminal Record and The Doll Factory.

Nina Singh as Tara Virdee

Who is Tara Virdee? Tara is Harry's niece and is the third generation of the Virdee family, meaning she feels a bit more at peace and free to be just who she wants to be. Her work as an investigative journalist sees her regularly cross paths with her uncle, intent on getting an inside scoop into what is unfolding in Bradford.

Where have I seen Nina Singh? Singh has starred in The Lazarus Project, Chemistry of Death and The Ex-Wife, as well as featuring in Waterloo Road and Beyond Paradise.

Vikash Bhai as Riaz Hyatt

Who is Riaz Hyatt? Riaz is Saima and Nadia's brother, and is one of Harry's friends from childhood. A successful businessman, Riaz is deeply passionate about making Bradford a better place – even if he didn't have the best start to his own life.

Where have I seen Vikash Bhai? Bhai has starred in Crossfire, Men Up, Juice and Pandora. He has also appeared in The Stranger, Limbo and Hanna.

Kulvinder Ghir as Ranjit Virdee

Who is Ranjit Virdee? Ranjit is the patriarch of the Virdee family and despite his ailing health, remains the head of the household. Even though he married a Hindu Punjabi woman himself many years ago, he has cut all ties with Harry after he married Saima and has become "more of an orthodox Sikh", according to Ghir.

Where have I seen Kulvinder Ghir? Ghir is best known for his appearances on Goodness Gracious Me, Howards' Way and Still Open All Hours. He voiced multiple characters in Postman Pat, as well as in Thomas & Friends and Bob the Builder. He has also starred in Hilda, Foundation and Jadoo.

Sudha Bhuchar as Jyoti Virdee

Who is Jyoti Virdee? Harry's mother, Jyoti has had to live with her husband's decision to disown her son. Although she's supportive of her husband, she wants her family back together and sympathises with the situation, seeing as she's Hindu and Ranjit's Sikh.

Bhuchar said: "She and Ranjit chose each other, so it wasn’t an arranged marriage... things weren’t straightforward for them."

Where have I seen Sudha Bhuchar? The actress and playwright is known for her roles in Casualty, EastEnders, Doctors and We Are Lady Parts. She has also had roles in Coronation Street, Mary Poppins Returns, Ridley and Expats.

Elizabeth Berrington as DS Clare Conway

Who is Clare Conway? Harry's boss, Clare knows that Harry often is a little unpredictable but has a way of tapping into the local community that other detectives can't. Speaking about her character, Berrington said: "DS Conway is a no-nonsense senior detective who has earned her position through experience and hard work."

Where have I seen Elizabeth Berrington? Berrington is known for a variety of roles including in Waterloo Road, Moving Wallpaper, Stella and Sanditon. She has also more recently starred in The Nevers, Lost Boys and Fairies, Henpocalypse!, Fifteen-Love and The Pact.

Danyal Ismail as DS Khalil Amin

Who is Khalil Amin? Amin is Harry's partner on the case and is a bit of a stickler for rules and legality. Speaking about his character, Ismail said: "His rigidity for the law will be tested in this city where the best of intentions can lead to dire consequences.

"He’ll either snap or bend, and the lad doesn’t have much bend to give."

Where have I seen Danyal Ismail? Ismail has starred in The Outrun, Ridley, McDonald & Dodds and Vera.

Virdee airs Mondays at 9pm on BBC One and is streaming on BBC iPlayer now.

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