The Split Up
ABOUT:
The Split Up is a new six-part BBC One drama, a spin-off from Abi Morgan’s acclaimed series The Split.
Set in Manchester, the series follows the Kishans, a British Asian family of divorce lawyers, navigating the complexities of love, marriage, family and relationships — both for their clients and within their own lives.
Written and created by Ursula Rani Sarma, the series is produced by Sister in association with Little Chick, with The Split creator Abi Morgan, Ursula Rani Sarma, Jane Featherstone and Bryony Arnold serving as executive producers.
The series is led by Ritu Arya as Aria Kishan, alongside Sanjeev Bhaskar, Aysha Kala, Arian Nik, Danny Ashok, Dimitri Leonidas, Mawaan Rizwan and Sindhu Vee, with guest appearances from Lenny Henry, Jameela Jamil, Victoria Ekanoye and Jane Horrocks.
THE SCORE
I loved creating the original score for The Split Up and finding a distinctive musical identity for the Kishan family and their world.
Ursula’s scripts are touching, funny, moving and incredibly sharp, and I wanted the music to capture all of those qualities - moving between warmth, humour and energy, and the more intimate and emotionally charged moments in the story.
At the heart of the series is this brilliant, complicated British Asian family, and it was important to me that the score reflected the contemporary British Asian perspective of the show while also capturing its sophistication, wit and emotional complexity.
One of the real highlights was creating the main title theme with Jasmin Jethwa. I brought Jasmin into my studio to collaborate on the top line, and together we shaped a distinctive sound that became an important part of the musical identity of the series.
It was an absolute privilege to score The Split Up, and I loved collaborating with Ursula and the fantastic team at Sister Pictures to help bring this world, its characters and their stories to life through the music.
The Split Up premieres on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Sunday 20 September 2026.
KEY PRODUCTION CREDITS
Story & Characters Created by: Ursula Rani Sarma
Based on The Split Created by: Abi Morgan
Directors: Shamim Sarif, Khurrum M Sultan
Producer: Natasha Romaniuk
Associate Producer: Kasheina Vencatasawmy
Executive Producers: Abi Morgan, Jane Featherstone, Bryony Arnold, Ursula Rani Sarma, Nawfal Faizullah (BBC)
Co-Executive Producer: Shamim Sarif
Production: SISTER Pictures in association with Little Chick
Broadcaster: BBC One / BBC iPlayer
