Boy With The Topknot, The (BBC-2 2017, Sacha Dhawan, Joanna Vanderham)

The Boy With The Topknot is an adaptation of the critically acclaimed memoirs of Sathnam Sanghera’s childhood in 1980’s Wolverhampton. Sacha Dhawan has the lead role as Sathnam.

Sacha Dhawan says: “After reading Sathnam’s memoir; The Boy With The Topknot, I was so excited to hear that BBC, Kudos and Parti Productions were adapting it. Not only is it a beautiful story, but it’s also funny and immensely moving. I feel incredibly proud to be playing Sathnam, and look forward to telling a story, which has already touched so many people.”

Born to Punjabi parents in the West Midlands, Sathnam’s memoirs are a humorous, touching and emotional story of a second-generation Indian growing up in Britain. His book is an account of his childhood and facing up to a bunch of painful family secrets and truths in his twenties – not least that his father and sister had suffered from schizophrenia – and that he was going to defy expectations of an arranged marriage.

Filming locations are in and around the West Midlands.

cast
Sacha Dhawan as Sathnam Sanghera
Joanna Vanderham as Laura
Anupam Kher as Mr Sanghera
Deepti Naval as Mrs Sanghera
Kiran Sonia Sawar
Sam Otto
Jaz Deol
Vineeta Rishi
Kriss Dosanjh
Manpreet Bambra

key behind the scenes crew
Mick Ford as Writer
Sathnam Sanghera as Original Author
Lynsey Miller as Director
Diederick Santer as Executive Producer
Manda Levin (for Kudos) as Executive Producer
Christopher Aird (for BBC) as Executive Producer
Nisha Parti (for Parti) as Executive Producer

show type
drama

broadcast from
In production for broadcast later in 2017
1 90 minute episode

network and production companies
BBC Two – Kudos – Parti