Austen updated for TV

A classic Jane Austen novel is being transformed into a contemporary Asian TV drama, in which traditional English army officers are replaced with black rap stars.

Pride And Prejudice will undergo a dramatic transformation, with the quintessentially English family depicted in the novel replaced by a multicultural cast of Asian origins in a bid to reflect ethnic minorities present in today's Britain. Its author is Farrukh Dhondy, former head of multicultural programmes at Channel 4.

In the adaptation, Darcy will be replaced by an Oxford-educated US lawyer named Dara Singh. The Bhonot family is headed by a retired Punjabi accountant living in Saddleworth with his five daughters. Elizabeth Bennet becomes Lit, whose little sister runs off with a rap singer as opposed to the traditional army officer.

The writer says the values of the Asian family perfectly mirror those in Austen's masterpiece. The new Pride And Prejudice, being developed by ITV, will contrast dramatically with the last televised version of the book six years ago, starring Colin Firth.