ITV has announced the cast for The Good Karma Hospital, a new medical drama created by Death in Paradise writer Dan Sefton.

Set in a coastal town in tropical South India, the six-part series started filming in Sri Lanka this month and is described as “life-affirming, contemporary drama full of extraordinary characters from all walks of life.”

The cast will be led by Amrita Acharia (Game of Thrones), Amanda Redman (New Tricks), Neil Morrissey (Men Behaving Badly), Phyllis Logan (Downton Abbey), James Floyd, Darhsan Jariwalla and Sagar Radia.

Amrita Acharia commented: “It’s great to be cast in a Brit-Asian lead role in what’s an atypical coming-of-age story in many ways. The role of Ruby will be exciting to explore as she uproots the only home she knows, to be thrown into the deep end of a place with a different perspective on universal dilemmas of life, love, success and failure, and ultimately confronts herself with the past she was escaping from.”

The Good Karma Hospital tells the story of British-Asian junior doctor, Ruby Walker (Amrita Acharia), who arrives at the run-down Good Karma Hospital to join a dedicated team of over-worked medics. Run by a gloriously eccentric Englishwoman, Lydia Fonseca (Amanda Redman), this under-funded but creatively resourceful cottage hospital is the beating heart of the local community.

Amanda Redman said: “I leapt at the chance to play Dr Lydia Fonseca. She is a great character and the scripts are terrific. I have always loved India and Sri Lanka. The people and varied cultures are fascinating, so spending time filming here couldn’t be better. I also love the food, but will have to try and restrain myself. Easier said than done!”

Downton Abbey star Phyllis Logan, who plays adventurous and fun loving Maggie Smart, added: “I’m so pleased to be playing a character with such humour and joie de vivre, and I love how Dan’s scripts slowly reveal her secret that will change her family forever. I can’t wait to bring her story to life.”

The Good Karma Hospital is created and written by Dan Sefton (The Five, Mr Selfridge, Death in Paradise), with scripts also from Vinay Patel and Nancy Harris.

Executive producer Will Gould teased: “We’re really excited to be working with Dan on his first original series commission. His scripts are as evocative as they are entertaining, full of wonderfully flawed but fascinating characters that find their place in the world a long way from home. The scripts have attracted a brilliantly distinctive cast, and we can’t wait to start filming to bring their extraordinary stories to life.”

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