‘Aishwarya is a discovery for me’

Calling her “humane and down to earth”, actor Irrfan Khan (below) says that his co-star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in his upcoming film is much more than what media perceives of the actor.

Irrfan, 48, who is currently shooting the Sanjay Guptadirected action-thriller with the 41-year-old former Miss World, feels that she is a director’s actor.

“Aish is a discovery for me. Whatever I knew about her was through the media. She is much more than the perception created about her by the media. She is much more humane, down to earth, caring and eager to explore various layers as an actor,” said Irrfan. He added, “It would be a delight for any director to cast her and give her some challenge, where she feels ‘let me do something new, let me do a character’. She is ready to do that. She is very eager to do that. That’s what I discovered about her. I had a great time working with her.”

The Piku actor said that Aishwarya was one of the reasons he signed the film. “I chose the film because it was a whole package... Aishwarya is there and it is a new kind of thriller in a very popular genre,” he said.

The first look of the film will be unveiled at the ongoing Cannes Film Festival by Aishwaryra and Sanjay. The film also stars Shabana Azmi and Anupam Kher.