‘LSD’ Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee to Direct Keith Gessen Novel Adaptation ‘A Terrible Country,’ Starring ‘Shantaram’ Actor Shubham Saraf (EXCLUSIVE)

by

Renowned Indian film director Dibakar Banerjee is poised to take the helm for an adaption of Keith Gessen’s novel, “A Terrible Country“. This will be his initial venture into English cinema, as well as his first film produced in Britain.

Shantaram author and A Suitable Boy and The Father and the Assassin contributor, Shubham Saraf, is set to play the main character. Jonathan Reiman will be producing through his Fast Forward International production house. Dhruv Sehgal, co-writer of Netflix’s “Little Things,” and Banerjee will collaborate on writing the script for this project.

The story set in India revolves around a British-Indian scholar who has moved from London to Delhi to look after his sick grandmother. As he juggles familial obligations, philosophies, and personal ambitions, he uncovers the real price of idealism in a nation that remains largely unfamiliar to him.

OR

In India, we find a British-Indian academic who’s moved from London to Delhi to care for his ailing grandmother. As he grapples with family expectations, values, and personal aspirations, he learns the true expense of idealism in a place that remains largely mysterious to him.

Banerjee, who has worked on films like “Shanghai,” which was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival, and “Bombay Talkies,” premiered at Cannes, as well as the highly acclaimed “LSD” and the Emmy-nominated “Lust Stories.” His latest work, “LSD2,” is now available on Netflix. His film “Tees” is due for release soon.

Recently, Saraf completed filming for the “Cliffhanger” remake, featuring Pierce Brosnan, Lily James, Franz Rogowski, along with Gurinder Chadha’s “Christmas Karma”. At present, he is involved in the shooting of “Star City”, an Apple production that also stars Rhys Ifans and Anna Maxwell Martin.

As a cinema enthusiast, I can’t help but express my excitement for Gessen’s work. It resonates profoundly with any individual navigating identity, sense of belonging, and the complexities of exclusion in our rapidly evolving world. Brace yourselves; it promises to be a thrilling, turbulent journey that I can hardly wait for!

Saraf stated, “Working with Dibakar on this significant project has always been a dream of mine, and it’s truly exciting to finally make that happen.

Producer Reiman expressed that there’s no superior method to share this profoundly emotional tale globally other than having Dibakar in command.

Charlie Wilson, the founder and partner at Insight Management & Production, is teaming up with Banerjee to serve as executive producers. Meanwhile, Amanda C. Lee from Insight will join them as a co-executive producer.

Insight Management & Production, along with Circle Management & Production, are entities associated with Saraf. Matter Entertainment handles the representation of Banerjee, whereas the Collective Artists Network represents Sehgal. Sudisha Mukherji assumes the role of legal advisor for production.

Read More

2025-05-29 17:21