Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj to adapt ‘The Sittaford Mystery’

Mumbai: Acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj is set to foray into long-format with the series adaptation of Agatha Christie’s novel ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ set at ‘Sony LIV’. Titled ‘Charlie Chopra and the Mystery of Solang Valley’, Sony LIV’s original is backed by ‘Vishal Bhardwaj Pictures’ along with Priti Shahani’s ‘Tusk Tale Films’ in association with ‘Agatha Christie Limited’.

The series boasts an impressive ensemble cast featuring Wamiqa Gabbi, Priyanshu Painyuli, Naseeruddin Shah, Neena Gupta, Ratna Pathak Shah, Gulshan Grover, Lara Dutta, Chandan Roy Sanyal, Paoli Dam and others. Set in the snow-capped mountains of Himachal Pradesh, the show will follow the journey of Charlie Chopra and her quest to uncover a deep mystery. Bhardwaj will direct and co-produce the series. He will also serve as co-screenwriter, alongside Anjum Rajabali and Jyotsna Hariharan.

“I grew up devouring all of Agatha Christie’s mysterious tales. Her plots, characters and setting remain unparalleled in the genre and continue to excite storytellers even today,” the filmmaker, known for adapting William Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ (‘Maqbool’), ‘Othello’ (‘Omkara’) and ‘Hamlet’ (‘Haider’) for the big screen, said in a statement.

He added, “It has been an incredible journey collaborating with James Prichard, the great-grandson of Agatha Christie, who always brought unique perspectives to our team. ‘Sony LIV’ and Priti Shahani have been the perfect partners for me to adapt to this thrilling and mysterious world.”

“Detective fiction has been a perennial favourite with our audience and what better than an Agatha Christie novel? We are delighted to be bringing one of her classics, ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ adapted rather skillfully in an Indian setting by none other than Vishal Bhardwaj. We are thrilled to have Vishal onboard as his ingenuity in adapting literary classics remains unrivalled,” said Saugata Mukherjee, Head Content, ‘SonyLIV’.

James Prichard, CEO of ‘Agatha Christie Limited’, said, “My great-grandmother has many fans in India and I am really excited for them to enjoy this adaptation by Vishal Bhardwaj, which takes the story of ‘The Sittaford Mystery’ and reimagines it in India.”