News

Amazon Studios and Kaling International are developing Uzma Jalaluddin’s novel “Hana Khan Carries On” as a film.

The story puts a modern Muslim spin on a premise first made famous by the Ernst Lubitsch classic “The Shop Around the Corner,” which was later updated with Nora Ephron’s “You’ve Got Mail.”

The novel follows two competing Halal shops. Hana’s family owns a restaurant called Three Sisters in the Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto, and its business is threatened when a more commercial, fusion-based eatery moves in down the street. The catch is that Hana and the owner of the other restaurant, Aydin, have an instant romantic connection.

Sahar Jahani will write the script, while Mindy Kaling and Jessica Kumai Scott will produce via Kaling International.

HANA KHAN CARRIES ON has been chosen for the Cityline Book Club!

Uzma Jalaluddin’s novel Hana Khan Carries On is a modern day meet-cute inspired by a love of rom-coms.

We cover representation, gorgeous cover art, and writing about characters finding and using their voices. It’s so much fun – Uzma is a wonderful guest.

Author Uzma Jalaluddin deploys romance tropes to expand the boundaries of the genre.

After updating Pride and Prejudice with her debut romance, author Uzma Jalaluddin turns to a more modern but no less beloved classic: You’ve Got Mail. Her sophomore novel, Hana Khan Carries On, is a retelling of the beloved Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks rom-com that swaps the film’s duelling bookstores for halal restaurants. The titular Hana helps run Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, a community staple that’s owned and operated by her family. Unfortunately, sales are down, and an upscale halal eatery opening nearby could put them out of business for good. 

But Hana’s heart is not in the restaurant business. She launched her own podcast while interning at a local radio station and recently formed a flirtation with an anonymous caller. Add in a fearsome, scene-stealing aunt and a cousin so compelling he seems destined for his own spinoff novel, and Hana has her hands full.