Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar will lead BBC One's The Split Up

The Split spin-off will follow Manchester's Kishan Law, a powerhouse British-South Asian family firm.

BBC One has announced that The Split spin-off The Split Up, will star Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar. As filming begins on the six-part legal drama, it marks 60 years of South Asian programming this month, celebrating British South Asian voices and storytelling on and off screen.

Based on Abi Morgan's The Split, with story and characters created by Ursula Rani Sarma, The Split Up will be set in the charged world of Manchester’s high net worth divorce circuit, and centres on Kishan Law, a powerhouse British-South Asian family firm, and the go-to for the city’s elite.

The fast-rising star of Kishan Law is Aria Kishan, played by Ritu Arya, poised to step up and take the mantle from her father Dhruv, played by Sanjeev Bhaskar. However, the death of her mother has cast a new light over these plans for Dhruv, who has begun to wonder if his daughter can, or should, take on this responsibility single-handedly.

Aria’s relationship is placed under scrutiny too with the wedding to her long-term partner Neal, played by Danny Ashok, on the horizon, but with their personal and professional so entwined it’s unclear if they can withstand any more pressure, a problem further compounded when a former secret flame, played by Dimitri Leonidas, arrives in Manchester unexpectedly.

Alongside her siblings Maya and Kav, played by Aysha Kala and Arian Nik, Aria must navigate the splits that divide family and those we love, and ask herself: who should you live your life for?

The Split Up will also star Mawaan Rizwan, Sindhu Vee, Shalini Peiris and Tom Forbes and guest star Lenny Henry and Jane Horrocks.

Speaking about today's casting news, Ursula Rani Sarma said "Having admired The Split and Abi Morgan for years, I was honoured to be asked to bring The Split Up to life. As a writer passionate about representation, it’s a dream come true to place a contemporary British South Asian family centre stage."

"Diversity deepens our understanding, enriches our stories, and reflects the true fabric of our society. It’s thrilling to watch our amazing cast led by Ritu and Sanjeev bring the Kishan family to life. I can’t wait for audiences to meet them and to witness the drama as it unfolds."

To which Abi Morgan added "The chance to take all that was loved about The Split and use it to inspire the next generation of British South Asian talent, to create a new family of dynamic lawyers spilling over with all the messiness of life, both personally and professionally, has been a brilliant challenge, beautifully realised by lead writer Ursula Rani Sama. I hope audiences will take it to their hearts."

Produced by SISTER in association with Little Chick, The Split Up will be directed by Shamim Sarif and Khurrum M Sultan, produced by Natasha Romaniuk with Kasheina Vencatasawmy as associate producer and will be executive produced by Abi Morgan alongside lead writer Ursula Rani Sarma, Bryony Arnold and Nawfal Faizullah for the BBC and co-executive produced by Shamim Sarif.

Additional episodes have been written by Sumerah Srivastav, Kaamil Shah and Sonali Bhattacharyya.

Speaking about The Split Up, SISTER Co-Founder and Executive Producer Jane Featherstone said "Working with Abi Morgan on The Split has been one of the favourite experiences of my career so I am totally thrilled to be able to now work with the supremely talented Ursula Rani Sarma on The Split Up, with a new story and a brand-new set of characters – that are rich with emotion and full of wit."

"We have a remarkable cast led by the brilliant Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar. We’re so proud to be working once again with the BBC on a series that captures the messy, complicated realities of love, family and ambition – this time in Manchester, and we hope audiences will fall for the Kishans, and their power suits, as much as we have."

To which BBC's Director of Drama, Lindsay Salt added "We’re thrilled to announce this outstanding cast for The Split Up led by Ritu Arya and Sanjeev Bhaskar. Abi Morgan’s The Split is one of our most loved dramas and in The Split Up Ursula Rani Sarma has superbly created a new family of Manchester lawyers whose professional and personal lives will keep viewers hooked."

The Split Up will air on BBC One