British actor Dev Patel to play Pakistani businessman Arif Naqvi in new TV series The key man. Patel will also serve as executive producer of the Miramax Television limited series.
According Deadline, the series follows the trials and tribulations of the charismatic businessman who was the founder of the Dubai-based private equity firm Abraaj. Employing charm and genius, Naqvi defrauded some of the world’s elite investors, including billionaires, politicians and religious figures.
Talk to digital spydirector David Lowery explained his casting:
“I wanted to work with actors I had never worked with before; I wanted to work with actors who weren’t American [and] I wanted to go abroad to make this film.
“I met Dev while he was filming [The Personal History of] David Copperfield and we got on well. I had written a character who was relatively unlikable and didn’t have much humor with him, and I knew that if I cast Dev he would suddenly become an incredibly attractive hero, even if he’s not very heroic.
“Once I imagined him on that horse in that landscape, I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing the role.”
THE Slumdog Millionaire The actor’s last TV stint was four years ago in Prime Video’s modern love.
Dev Patel got his start playing Anwar Kharral in the teen drama series Skins. He was nominated for a BAFTA following his breakthrough role as Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. Patel also received an Oscar nomination for portraying Saroo Brierley in the drama Lion.