Netflix unveils first look of Freida Pinto and Siddharth starrer Unaccustomed Earth, to release on December 17

Netflix has unveiled the first look of its upcoming family drama series Unaccustomed Earth, starring Freida Pinto and Siddharth in the lead roles.

The series is inspired by Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed short story collection of the same name and is set to premiere on December 17, 2026.

Adapted by Madhuri Shekar, who also serves as the showrunner and writer, Unaccustomed Earth follows an Indian American community as its members navigate relationships, family expectations, loss and questions of belonging across generations.

Freida Pinto plays Parul Chaudhury Freida Pinto plays Parul Chaudhury, a wife and mother whose life takes an unexpected turn after she is diagnosed with cancer.

The character has previously made significant personal sacrifices, including giving up her college first love to respect her father’s wishes.

Following her diagnosis, Parul moves with her family from India to Cambridge, Massachusetts, a place where she had previously felt a strong sense of belonging.

The move prompts her to reconsider the life choices she has made and pursue possibilities she had left behind.

Her decisions subsequently have an impact not only on her family but also on the wider immigrant community around her.

Siddharth plays Amit, with the series also featuring Indraneil Sengupta as Jai, Parveen Kaur as Nina, Sarayu Blue as Ruma, Justin Bartha as Adam, Adi Roy as Kaushik, Iyla Sundarsingh Mckaig as Hema and Jayant Kripalani as Pranab.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix) Adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story collection Unaccustomed Earth takes inspiration from Lahiri’s collection, which explores the experiences of Indian American families and their relationships with identity, culture, family and home.

The Netflix series is set across Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, and centres on multiple generations within the community.

The story brings together themes of love, personal choices, family ties and the experience of living between cultures.

The series has Madhuri Shekar as showrunner and writer, with John Wells, Jhumpa Lahiri, Nisha Ganatra, Erica Saleh, Erin Jontow and Celia Costas also serving as executive producers.

Ritesh Batra is set to direct and executive produce the first two episodes.