‘Unaccustomed Earth’ Television Adaptation in the Works at Netflix: Freida Pinto Cast & Filming Starts September 2025

Picture Nisha Ganatra (left), Freida Pinto (centre), and the Unaccustomed Earth novel (right)

Netflix is adapting Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning Unaccustomed Earth, which The Pitt’s John Wells will helm. Details are limited, but the series has found its first cast member with actress Freida Pinto, and filming is currently scheduled to get underway in September 2025. Here’s everything we know so far about Unaccustomed Earth on Netflix.

Unaccustomed Earth is an upcoming Netflix Original romantic drama series and adaptation of the award-winning short story collection by author Jhumpa Lahiri. HBO’s The Pitt executive producer, John Wells, serves as the series’s showrunner, writer, and executive producer via John Wells Productions, which he has an overall deal with Warner Bros. Television.

Picture: John Wells the executive producer of The Pitt

Nisha Ganatra has been confirmed to direct the first episode, and she will serve as an executive producer, as will Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow, and Celia Costas.

Picture: Nisha Ganatra – Monica Schipper/Getty

What is the plot of Unaccustomed Earth?

Shockwaves are felt throughout an affluent Indian-American enclave of Cambridge, Massachusetts, when a scandalous affair surfaces between a devoted wife and her long-lost lover, testing cultural bonds, loyalties, and long-held traditions.

Who are the cast members of Unaccustomed Earth?

On July 17, 2025, it was announced that actress Freida Pinto had been cast in a “major role.” She will play the role of Parul Chaudhury. The actress is most well-known for her breakout role as the Older Latika in the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. She has also starred in films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy, Love Wedding Repeat, and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.

Freida Pinto in Rise of the Planet of the Apes (left), Hillbilly Elegy (centre), and Love Wedding Repeat (right)

What is the episode count of Unaccustomed Earth?

It has been confirmed that there will be a total of 8 episodes.

Each episode will have an approximate runtime of 60 minutes.

What is the production status of Unaccustomed Earth?

The film is still in pre-production, but in Issue 1464 of Production Weekly, filming is scheduled to start in September 2025 and will run until February 2026.

When is Unaccustomed Earth coming to Netflix?

There has been no confirmation on when Unaccustomed Earth will be released on Netflix.

Given that filming isn’t scheduled to end until Q1 2026, the earliest we could see the drama on Netflix would be late 2026. However, a 2027 release is more realistic.

Are you looking forward to watching Unaccustomed Earth on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!