0 2 mins 8 yrs

The life of journalist Sathnam Sanghera explored in new drama.

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BBC Two has commissioned The Boy With The Topknot, a one-off 90-minute drama be based on the critically acclaimed memoirs of journalist Sathnam Sanghera.

Born to Punjabi parents in the West Midlands, the book is his account of his childhood in 1980s Wolverhampton, 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.

It is a humorous, touching and emotional story of a second-generation Indian growing up in Britain and how he juggles his family, love life and career.

Sathnam Sanghera says: “I’m delighted that The Boy With The Topknot is being adapted for screen. Delighted and of course a little trepidatious. The latter because the book is obviously a personal exposition of my childhood and family, and delighted because it’s a story I want people to know about and understand. I feel absolutely confident that the BBC and Parti along with Kudos will handle the themes explored in the book with great warmth and sensitivity, and because ultimately, my family’s story is one of hope.”

Producer Nisha Parti says: “I am so thrilled that the BBC have commissioned this drama. Growing up, I never had the opportunity to watch these kinds of stories being told on TV and have worked hard with the BBC and Kudos to bring that story to life for the screen. Very much looking forward to producing my first film for the BBC on a project that I feel so passionately about.”

The Boy With The Topknot will be adapted by Mick Ford and produced by Kudos and Parti Productions for BBC Two.