Sathnam Sanghera BBC drama: First images released from set

The Boy With The Topknot is based on the best-selling memoir of the award-winning journalist and author who grew up in Heath Town and went on to write for The Times.

Filming of the 90-minute programme has been taking place across Wolverhampton and Birmingham in recent weeks.

Sherlock and Last Tango in Halifax actor Sacha Dhawan plays the adult Sathnam in the TV drama.

Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi parents, the book is an account of his childhood in the 1980s where he was later forced to face up to painful family secrets, not least that his father and sister had suffered from schizophrenia. He also defied expectations of an arranged marriage.

The book is described by the BBC as a ‘humorous, touching and emotional story of a second-generation Indian growing up in Britain’.

After casting was announced Sacha Dhawan, who has also appeared in the BBC’s Line of Duty, said: "Not only is it a beautiful story, but it’s also funny and immensely moving. I feel incredibly proud to be playing Sathnam and look forward to telling a story, which has already touched so many people.”

Other actors and actresses in the show include Joanna Vanderham, who starred in 2015 film The Go-Between, in the role of Sathnam’s girlfriend, Laura, and Anupam Kher and Deepti Naval, from Bend it like Beckham and Lion fame respectively, who star as Sathnam’s parents.

Sathnam himself has described the experience of watching his book brought to life as 'surreal'.

"It is a really strange experience to have your book being turned into a TV show but mainly it is exciting," he added.

The 'full reality' did not hit him until the read-through when he saw so many famous actors reading his lines.

"They are such big name actors as well," he said. "The guy playing my dad, Anupam Kher, is really famous in India. It is the opposite of writing because it involves so many people, writing is just you.”

The drama is due to be broadcast on BBC2 later this year.