drama Virdee is soon to premiere, with fans eager to know where the six-part series was filmed.
Debuting today, Monday, February 10, at 9pm, on One and iPlayer, Virdee tells the story of Detective Harry Virdee (played by Staz Nair), tasked with tracking down a serial killer targeting an Asian community.
Meanwhile, he’s trying to mend his relationship with his family, having been disowned for marrying a Muslim woman.
However, when the killer kidnaps the police chief’s son, Virdee seeks help from his brother-in-law, a drug kingpin, potentially risking more lives.
The show was primarily filmed in Bradford, the hometown of author and the show’s executive producer AA Dhand.
BBC Virdee was filmed across the city of Bradford in 2024. (Image: BBC)
Virdee creator and executive producer AA Dhand and Detective Harry Virdee star Staz Nair behind the scenes. (Image: BBC)
He deemed it “vital” to include local residents in the production and aimed to “show the contrast between old and new Bradford” through his choice of filming locations.
He shared with the : “Bradford is a really beautiful city. We go to City Park, where we have the biggest [urban] water fountains in England.
“This is juxtaposed in the series with the nightmarish ruins and mills that haven’t been used for decades.”
Another key filming location was the Khidmat Community Centre in Spencer Road, Bradford, along with nearby shops, where filming took place for about two weeks in early 2024.
Sofia Buncy MBE, the national co-ordinator at the Khidmat Centre, opened up about the buzz created by TV crews saying: “They certainly brought excitement and ” glamour to the neighbourhood.”
BBC Virdee filming locations as ‘chaos’ broke out for community behind the scenes (Image: BBC)
“It brought excitement literally to people’s doorstep but it also meant they [TV crews] had to mitigate modern day car number plates – it was a throwback scene they were filming to the riots – people walking across the shots coming to and from school, or going to the shop or places of worship.
“It was quite humorous to watch because people were living their everyday lives quite oblivious to what was going on and absolutely fascinated that the would even want to come and film in BD7.”
Buncy also mentioned that some locals had the chance to observe the filming process.
“A lot of people don’t have the opportunity to experience what really goes on behind the scenes in making a film.
“What we see on our screens is a polished and edited version. For Khidmat Centres to experience the running around, the chaos and the razmataz was exciting and also a learning experience.”
Virdee premieres on Monday, February 10, at 9pm on One and iPlayer.