Feb 05, 2026 1:42pm IST
‘Delhi Crime’ Showrunner Tanuj Chopra Developing ‘Devdas’ Series for US Audiences, And Set To Reunite With Tillotama Shome For An Alien Drama (EXCLUSIVE)
Over the last few years, Chopra has emerged as one of the most respected voices in India’s streaming space. He helmed seasons two and three of Netflix’s International Emmy Award-winning series “Delhi Crime”, starring Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Huma Qureshi, Tillotama Shome and others. While the third season premiered to strong attention, there has been little on Chopra’s next move since.
Variety India has now exclusively learned that the filmmaker is simultaneously developing two projects, one of which is an episodic television series adapting the Indian literary classic “Devdas” for an American audience.
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Chopra, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight since the release of “Delhi Crime season 3”, has been working behind the scenes on both ventures, each at an advanced stage of development. According to sources, the first project is a U.S. adaptation of “Devdas”, which Chopra is developing with filmmaker Meera Menon, best known for “Farah Goes Bang”.
Backed by Searchlight TV, the project originated as a concept at the Sundance Labs and has since evolved steadily. Insiders reveal that the series is currently titled “Sugar Land”, though whether this title will be retained is not known. Casting details have not yet been finalized.
The second project marks Chopra’s reunion with “Delhi Crime season 2” antagonist Tillotama Shome. Titled “Tunnel”, the feature film is described as a genre-bending drama centered on aliens and set within an underground tunnel system. Chopra is producing the project under his banner, Chops Films.
Further details on both Sugar Land and Tunnel are currently under wraps. In addition to “Delhi Crime”, Chopra’s earlier work includes “Staycation” (2018), “Nice Girls Crew” (2012), and “Futurestates” (2010).
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