Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar have been confirmed to star in BBC’s upcoming legal drama The Split Up, from Sister. Filming has started in Manchester.
The new six-part legal drama for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, with story and characters created by Ursula Rani Sarma (Smother, Delicious), is based on The Split, created by Abi Morgan (The Split, Eric) and produced by Sister in association with Little Chick.
Morgan returns as Executive Producer, alongside Ursula Rani Sarma, Jane Featherstone (Black Doves, Coldwater) and Bryony Arnold (Code of Silence, Peaky Blinders).
Also joining the cast are Aysha Kala (Virdee), Arian Nik (Film Club), Danny Ashok (Dinosaur), Dimitri Leonidas (Those About To Die), Mawaan Rizwan (Juice), Sindhu Vee (Matilda the Musical), Shalini Peiris (The White Lotus) and Tom Forbes (Queenie).
The series also features guest stars, including Lenny Henry (Three Little Birds) and Jane Horrocks (Bloods).
Set in theworld of Manchester’s high net worth divorce circuit, The Split Up centres on Kishan Law – a powerhouse British-South Asian family firm, and the go-to for the city’s elite. The fast-rising star of Kishan Law is Aria Kishan (Ritu Arya), poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv (Sanjeev Bhaskar). However, the death of her mother has cast a new light over these plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly.
Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too with the wedding to her long-term partner Neal (Danny Ashok) on the horizon, but with their personal and professional so entwined it’s unclear if they can withstand any more pressure – a problem further compounded when a former secret flame (Dimitri Leonidas) arrives in Manchester unexpectedly. Alongside her siblings Maya (Aysha Kala) and Kav (Arian Nik), Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love – and ask herself: who should you live your life for?
Abi Morgan adds: “The chance to take all that was loved about The Split and use it to inspire the next generation of British South Asian talent, to create a new family of dynamic lawyers spilling over with all the messiness of life, both personally and professionally, has been a brilliant challenge, beautifully realised by lead writer Ursula Rani Sama. I hope audiences will take it to their hearts.”
Sister Co-Founder and Executive Producer Jane Featherstone says: “Working with Abi Morgan on The Split has been one of the favourite experiences of my career so I am totally thrilled to be able to now work with the supremely talented Ursula Rani Sarma on The Split Up, with a new story and a brand-new set of characters – that are rich with emotion and full of wit. We have a remarkable cast led by the brilliant Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar. We’re so proud to be working once again with the BBC on a series that captures the messy, complicated realities of love, family and ambition – this time in Manchester, and we hope audiences will fall for the Kishans, and their power suits, as much as we have.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama says: “We’re thrilled to announce this outstanding cast for The Split Up led by Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar. Abi Morgan’s The Split is one of our most loved dramas and in The Split Up Ursula Rani Sarma has superbly created a new family of Manchester lawyers whose professional and personal lives will keep viewers hooked.”
Filming begins as the BBC marks 60 years of South Asian programming this month, celebrating British South Asian voices and storytelling on and off screen. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/60-years-of-south-asian-programming-across-the-bbc
Ursula Rani Sarma says: “Having admired The Split and Abi Morgan for years, I was honoured to be asked to bring The Split Up to life. As a writer passionate about representation, it’s a dream come true to place a contemporary British South Asian family centre stage. Diversity deepens our understanding, enriches our stories, and reflects the true fabric of our society. It’s thrilling to watch our amazing cast led by Ritu and Sanjeev bring the Kishan family to life. I can’t wait for audiences to meet them and to witness the drama as it unfolds.”
The Split Up’s story and characters are created by Ursula Rani Sarma, and based on The Split, created by Abi Morgan. Produced by Sister in association with Little Chick for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, The Split Up (6 x 60) is executive produced by Abi Morgan, Jane Featherstone, Bryony Arnold, Ursula Rani Sarma and Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC and it is co-executive produced by Shamim Sarif. Additional episodes are written by Sumerah Srivastav (Missing You), Kaamil Shah (Count Abdulla) and Sonali Bhattacharyya (Chasing Hares – Young Vic/Theatre Uncut).
The series is being directed by Shamim Sarif (YOU) and Khurrum M Sultan (Vera). Natasha Romaniuk (Outrageous) serves as producer and Kasheina Vencatasawmy (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as associate producer. BBC Studios is handling global sales.
photo credit: John Rogers
Pippa Considine
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