Now Irrfan is waiting for the other two Hollywood films to be released. The Angelina Jolie starrer The Mighty Heart and Hollywood director Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited starring Hollywood biggies like Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson and Natalie Portman.

Naturally, Irrfan is pleased as punch. Says he, "It is not easy to win the audience in the west. Bringing them to the theatre and having your film appreciated is a great achievement and it has entirely been a fantastic experience."

"I was reading the book when Mira Nair called me. She had decided that I would be doing the role. When I read the book I was wondering how she could adapt it into a script. It is neither a Hollywood nor a Bollywood film. She has brought out the passion in the film. It is about the life of a couple who has had an arranged marriage and how they fall in love after marriage. There is the acceptance and surrendering element in it. I had to do a lot of homework for the film since I had to have a Bengali English accent in it. I had to sit with a tape with the recorded sample and develop that accent."

About his Angelina Jolie starrer that was shot in India, he says, "The film currently is in the editing stages and may release during July-August worldwide." Irrfan’s other big Hollywood project currently on hand is the Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums) directed The Darjeeling Limited. "It's a fantastic role. It is about three brothers who are on a journey from America to India following their father’s death. It is neither a typical Hollywood film nor a masala film. It is not structured." He reveals.

About Anderson he says, "He is influenced by old Hollywood films and you can see the Frank Capra influence in most of his film including this one." About the film’s release he says, "The film has been shot and is in the editing stages now and is also set to release around July-August worldwide."

Abhijit Mhamunkar

Wednesday, 14 March, 2007