The Uma Rao Mysteries

Synopsis

Three original murder mysteries featuring Bangalore detective Uma RaoActor, writer and director Mahesh Dattani is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award by India’s National Academy of Letters. Included here are all three of his plays featuring Uma Rao – PhD student, daughter-in-law of Bangalore's deputy commissioner of police, and wife of the superintendent. Priyanga Burford (neé Elan), stars as the intrepid sleuth, with full casts including Shiv Grewal, Saeed Jaffrey, Ajay Chhabra, Amerjit Deu and Nitin Chandra Ganatra.Seven Circles Around the Fire – For her university thesis, Uma is conducting research into the Hijra community (third gender people who are invited to sing, dance and give blessings at weddings and births, but marginalized from mainstream society). But her inquiries uncover a case of corruption, murder and a terrible miscarriage of justice...The Swami and Winston – When an English aristocrat is found murdered outside a Hindu temple, the only clues are a mischievous dog and a Burberry raincoat. Why was Lady Montefiore visiting an ashram, and who could have wanted to kill her? As Uma delves into her death, she comes into contact with religious fanaticism at its most dangerous...Uma and the Fairy Queen – Attending a performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Uma is embroiled in another murder investigation when the actor playing Oberon, Michael Forsyth, is kidnapped, reappears just in time to go on, and is then found shot dead after the show. Suspicion falls on his wife, but Uma is convinced that the solution to the mystery lies in the play itself...Seven Circles around the FireUma Rao – Priyanga ElanSuresh Rao – Rehan SheikhConstable Muniswami – Shiv GrewalJumpa – Saeed JaffreyAnarkili – Rikki Beadle-BlairSaleem – Amerjit DeuMr Shirma – Nitin Chandra GanatraSuba Shirma – Ajay ChhabraProduced and directed by Jeremy MortimerFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 January 1999The Swami and WinstonUma Rao – Priyanga ElanConstable – Shiv GrewalCharles – Andrew WincottSuresh – Ajay ChhabraSwami – Saeed JaffreySitaram – Paul BhattarcharjeeLady Montefiore – Richenda CareyDriver – Amerjit DeuFarmer – Nitin Chandra GhanatraProduced and directed by Jeremy MortimerMusic by Eero HameenniemiFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3 June 2000Uma and the Fairy QueenUma Rao – Priyanga ElanSuresh – Ajay ChhabraNila – Souad FaressFeroz – Akbar KurthaMalik – Kaleem JanjuaLiam – Gerard McDermottMichael – Stephen CritchlowProduced and directed by Marc BeebyFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4, 16 August 2003© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd