Blink49 Studios & Unicorn Island to adapt Riva Razdan’s ‘Arzu’

Charithra Chandran (Pic credit: Karoline Heller)

Blink49 Studios, the Toronto-based firm headed by former Entertainment One exec John Morayniss, has partnered with Lilly Singh’s Unicorn Island Productions to develop a drama series based on Riva Razdan’s novel Arzu.

The project, which comes out of the first-look deal between Blink49 Studios and Unicorn Island Productions, will star Charithra Chandran (Alex Rider, Bridgerton) and is being written by Geetika Lizardi (Bridgerton, Outsourced).

Arzu follows the titular brilliant, young heiress who escapes scandal in Mumbai and lands in New York City. But while training to enter into glamorous Manhattan high society, Arzu risks throwing it all away for the adventure of living life on her own terms.

The series will be executive produced by Lilly Singh and Polly Auritt for Unicorn Island Productions, Carolyn Newman and Virginia Rankin for Blink49 Studios, Charithra Chandran and Geetika Lizardi, who also serves as showrunner.

“Arzu exemplifies the very essence of our initial collaboration with Lilly and Unicorn Island Productions,” said Carolyn Newman, EVP of global scripted TV at Blink49 Studios, which acquired Vancouver production company Front Street Pictures last week..

“Arzu is an inspiring story about a woman who rejects societal norms in favor of her own passions and pursuits. It’s sexy, surprising, and subverts the limited South Asian stereotypes we’ve grown all too accustomed to seeing,” added Singh.