Author:Vikas Swarup,Full Cast,Rasika Dugal,Vijay Chrishna
A ten-part dramatisation of the bestselling thriller by Slumdog Millionaire author Vikas Swarup
Sapna Sinha is a sales assistant in a TV showroom in New Delhi. As the sole breadwinner in the family, she works hard to support her widowed mother and younger sister Neha. Then billionaire Vinay Mohan Acharya walks into her life and offers to make her the CEO of his global empire. All she has to do is pass seven tests - rites of passage, designed to gauge her mettle as a leader.
It seems too good to be true, and Sapna is sceptical. But, in desperate need of money, she signs the contract that will subject her to the series of 'life tests'. She has no idea what they will be, or when they will come, but if she gets through them, her life will change forever.
And change it does - though not in a way she could ever have predicted. As the consequences of her Faustian pact become clear, it seems there is no escape. Only by revisiting her past can she make sense of her present: but nothing can prepare her for what she finds there...
Dramatised by award-winning authors Ayeesha Menon and John Dryden, this gripping, suspenseful drama with a twist in the tale stars Rasika Dugal as Sapna and Vijay Chrishna as Acharya.
Production credits
Dramatised by Ayeesha Menon and John Dryden from the novel The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup
Produced by Nadir Khan
Directed by John Dryden
Sound Design: Steve Bond
Editing Assistant: Varun Bangera
Script Editor: Mike Walker
Assistant Producer: Toral Shah
Music: Sacha Puttnam
A Goldhawk Production for BBC Radio 4
Cast
Sapna - Rasika Dugal
Acharya - Vijay Chrishna
Karan - Neil Bhoopalam
Nirmila Ben/Rosie - Radhika Mital
Sapna's Mother - Shernaz Patel
Raja - Sumeet Vyas
Kuldeep Singh/Roaji - Rajit Kapur
Neha - Amrita Puri
Priya Capoor/Pushpa/Female Judge - Ayesha Raza
Badan Singh/Politician/Constable - Kenny Desai
Madan - Vivek Madan
Neelam - Prerna Chawla
Babli/Janet - Preetika Chawla
Rent Collector - Satchit Puranik
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19-30 May 2014
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
I devoured this riveting book through a day of travel - in a taxi, on the plane, in the next taxi - and into the night. My desire to rush to the end clashed with my desire to savor every word. Who would be the last psychopath standing?
—— New York TimesKurian dazzles with a unique protagonist and tight plotting. This one will keep you awake at night and force you to question how well you know the people in your life. Not to be missed!
—— Christina Dalcher, author of VoxUtterly gripping
—— Sunday TelegraphAn up-and-coming voice in fiction...a game of cat and mouse
—— TatlerAn audacious, break-the-mould thriller from a new voice
—— Sarra Manning , RedGripping! With a college campus setting, charming psychopaths, and a bitingly clever voice, Never Saw Me Coming is a dazzling debut from a bold new talent.
—— Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of the Rizzoli and Isles thrillersA very impressive debut
—— Daily MirrorWelcome to your new problematic fave. I fell in love with self-confessed psychopath Chloe on page one, and even as she plotted murder, found myself cheering her on.
—— Erin Kelly, author of bestseller He Said/She SaidA real treat of a book. I rooted for the nightmarish Chloe from the off, and couldn't stop turning the pages. Gripping, compelling and very satisfying
—— C.J. Cooper, author of THE BOOK CLUB and LIE TO METhe brilliantly original concept makes this an addictive read.
—— PrimaWitty, acerbic and utterly compulsive, Never Saw Me Coming is a razor-sharp thriller with an irresistibly wicked central character. I couldn't tell if I was scared of, amused by, or attracted to Chloe Sevre. One thing's for sure: I will never forget her.
—— Kia Abdullah, author of Next of KinA compulsive read...unreliable narrators and plot twists aplenty...goes beyond the tropes of psychopathy, showing the reality of living a normal, average life too. Dark, complex and gripping
—— The SkinnyFresh, fast-paced and fiendishly clever! If you love watching true crime and wonder about the psychopaths among us, this is the book for you! Never Saw Me Coming will have you never sleeping again.
—— Lisa Gardner, Sunday Times bestselling author of Before She DisappearedAn entertaining campus novel...the interplay between the characters is fascinating and there's lots of fun, both in the writing itself and in what it describes.
—— Literary ReviewWhat a hook! I loved this bold, fast-paced, entertaining thriller. Deliciously wicked and utterly addictive.
Fun, entertaining, and hard to put down, a twisty whodunit with a satisfying conclusion
—— New York Journal of BooksVery twisty. Very clever.
—— R. L. StineWhip smart, very sharp, thrillingly sassy. What a refreshing take on the psychopath. And how much did I enjoy learning about the evolution of such a personality disorder from grassroots level... A brilliant read; unusual, clever and one-of-a-kind. Just like Chloe.
—— J. M. Hewitt, author of The Night CallerA razor-sharp, brilliantly plotted and utterly gripping page-turner. I couldn't put Never Saw Me Coming down. Takes us to the darkest of places, with a lightness of touch and a keen intelligence: Vera Kurian's debut deserves to be a huge hit.
—— Sanjida Kay, author of One Year LaterExcellent pacing, sprightly narrative voices, and judicious dabs of wry humor make this a highly entertaining tale. Kurian's refreshingly different slant on psychopathy marks her as a writer to watch
—— Publishers WeeklyImpossible to put down
—— Louise O'NeillA sharp debut, and ant-heroine Chloe is darkly entertaining throughout.
—— Irish IndependentKurian expertly threads revenge and cat-and-mouse story arcs with Chloe's frank, show-stealing narration...Kurian's highly anticipated thriller will undoubtedly lead fans of Gone Girl, Dexter and Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley novels to hope for Chloe's return.
—— Booklist, starred reviewElectrifying and entirely unpredictable.
—— Woman's OwnDelivered with panache and wit
—— New York Times Book ReviewThis book was like a refreshing can of something fizzy - the interactions between the program members are a joy, and the plot full of sharp turns and surprises. I quickly became quite fond of this disparate gang of plotting, scheming young monsters. Can't remember reading something I enjoyed so much in ages. Highly recommended.
—— Helen Callaghan, author of the Sunday Times bestseller Dear AmyReaders won't want to put down this fast and engaging debut novel, and they'll root for the characters who've been cast as villains
—— Library JournalA powerful puzzle of a murder mystery, as impossible to solve as it is to put down. What starts as a delicious thriller becomes a fascinating investigation of amorality, vengeance, and redemption. A powder keg of a debut.
—— Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on FireStick a bunch of devious psychopaths together and what could possibly go wrong? (...) a completely original, clever whodunit from a talented new arrival to the world of psychological suspense.
—— Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Mrs.Sharp, original and extremely entertaining. The portrayal of psychopathy is nuanced and sensitive - something you don't see enough of in thriller fiction.
Truly original. Vera's main characters are believable and likeable, despite their nature. A very intriguing read.
—— Joy Kluver, author of Broken GirlsShocking, moving, full of heart ... deeply layered and intricately plotted ... A Slow Fire Burning shows a writer at the height of her powers
—— The ObserverThis tense and irresistible read is best binged in one sitting
—— HeatIntricately interwoven plots and subplots, propulsive twists and a neat finale, a deliciously easy psycho drama to hungrily tear through.
—— Evening StandardA brilliant read
—— Bella magazineA psychological thriller that begins with a death on a canal boat and involves a cadre of shifty, damaged characters.
—— The i PaperA multi-layered mystery simmering with secrets, resentments and griefs.
—— WOMAN