Netflix’s forthcoming drama series Unaccustomed Earth, inspired by Jhumpa Lahiri’s collection of short stories, has undergone a change in its directing team. Nisha Ganatra, who was originally set to direct the pilot episode, has stepped back due to scheduling issues. Filmmaker Ritesh Batra will now direct and serve as executive producer for the first two episodes of the series, as reported by Deadline.
Ganatra, currently occupied with her upcoming film Freakier Friday, found that her extensive post-production work conflicted with the preparation schedule for Unaccustomed Earth. Although she will not serve as director, she will remain involved with the project as an executive producer. Reports indicate that Ganatra recommended Batra to Netflix as her successor.
Unaccustomed Earth, produced by showrunner John Wells and writer/executive producer Madhuri Shekar, explores the experiences of a close-knit Indian American community dealing with issues of love, desire, and identity. The narrative centers around a scandalous affair that comes to light when a devoted wife’s long-lost love is discovered. Netflix greenlit the series in April after opening a writers’ room in February.
Batra is renowned for his Hindi-language debut, The Lunchbox, which garnered the Rail d’Or at the Critics’ Week at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. Featuring Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur, the film became the highest-grossing foreign film in North America, Europe, and Australia in 2014. His other notable works include The Sense of an Ending for BBC Films and FilmNation, Our Souls at Night for Netflix, and Photograph for Amazon Studios.
