Wish I had scenes with Irrfan in `The Lunchbox`: Nimrat Kaur

New Delhi: Actress Nimrat Kaur is happy to star alongside Irrfan Khan in her Bollywood feature debut ‘The Lunchbox’ but she regrets not being able to share screen space with the actor in director Ritesh Batra`s epistolary romance. The 31-year-old model-turned-actress plays a lonely housewife, who embarks on a rather unusual romance with Irrfan`s character via letters hidden in a lunchbox. "The film has such a setting that I and Irrfan don`t really share screen space as we interact via letters throughout the film. So, yes I wish I had scenes with him in the film. But I am looking for another opportunity in which I would actually work alongside him," Nimrat said. ‘The Lunchbox’ also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the actress says she could not have asked for better co-stars to work with. "I am lucky to work with such a stellar cast. Both Irrfan and Nawaz are very self assured as actors. And it is such a delight to watch them. You can learn a lot by just observing them at work," Nimrat said. The film set in Mumbai, has been woven around the famous dabbawala (lunchbox) service of the city. But Nimrat says since ‘The Lunchbox’ is a simple story about human emotions, even people from outside the city will be able to relate to it. "Although the `dabba system` is the basic premise for the film, people from all over the country are going to understand the movie. The film deals with very simple, basic human emotions. So, I am really waiting to see the reaction from the audience," she said. ‘The Lunchbox’ produced by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap, amongst others, will be presented by filmmaker Karan Johar. It hits theatres on September 20. ‘The Lunchbox’ bagged the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in May this year. Nimrat also attended the film carnival last year with "Peddlers", which was screened at the Cannes Critics` week. When asked about how she felt this time around, Nimrat says, "I remember after the screening, I was walking on the streets there and people were talking in different languages and the only word I could make out was Lunchbox. I instantly knew that they were talking about the film. "It felt out of the world. I never expected that kind of response from the audience there." Before venturing into films, Nimrat has been part of various commercials and music videos. She has also been a part of the Mumbai theatre circle for the past nine years. She made her foray into cinema with the critically acclaimed film ‘Peddlers’, which is yet to hit theatres in India. The actress also made a guest appearance in ‘Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana". "`The Lunchbox` is my first Bollywood feature film in a way because `Peddlers` was a very different kind and is yet to release," the actress said. Nimrat is hoping she will have a long and happy stay in Bollywood after already receiving great compliments for her performance in ‘The Lunchbox’ from many acclaimed directors. "I have received great feedback from Karan Johar, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vikramaditya Motwane. I am really happy. Things are very positive. I am also in talks with some directors, I have some scripts but I would not like to discuss them right now," Nimrat said. PTI