Bollywood star Ishaan Khatter made his US debut Perfect Couple with what he considers a pretty perfect cast.
“One of the things I’ve really enjoyed about this show is working with some wonderful people,” Khatter, 28, tells PEOPLE. “Everyone is professional and very generous and kind.”
The actor says he had an “awe-inspiring first encounter” with actress Nicole Kidman, who plays the groom’s mother Greer Garrison Winbury in the Netflix murder mystery based on Elin Hilderbrand’s book of the same name.
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“She was as normal as any other actor on set,” says Khatter. “We had some very interesting things that we were able to connect and talk about outside of the narrative of the show. She is a wonderful person. She certainly has mesmerizing eyes, which I enjoyed playing. It was definitely a very exciting foray into the world of Hollywood, so I feel very grateful. It will be one of the pleasures of my young career.”
Khatter and the cast filmed in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for more than four months, spending their time whale watching, wine tasting, visiting nearby Provincetown — and taking trips to Trader Joe’s.
“I can definitely say that I’m now almost as well integrated into the geography of Cape Cod as a local resident might be,” he says.
Ishaan Khatter as Shooter Dival in ‘Perfect Couple’.
Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Netflix
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The series cast Khatter as the groom’s childhood friend and best man Shooter Dival despite the character being white in Hiderband’s novel.
“She took the liberty with my character of being ethnically agnostic,” Khatter says of director Susanne Bier. “Susanne’s vision was very clear and I wanted her to be my guide, not so much a book.”
Still, Khatter says he “combed” through the book to familiarize himself with the story of a murder that takes place during a wedding weekend in Nantucket, Massachusetts. “I think it brings good,” he adds about the adaptation. “It’s basically the same beats, it’s the same arc, it’s the same story, and you’re going to see it come to life on screen.”
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Ishaan Khatter and Tabu in ‘A Suitable Boy’.
Taha Ahmad/everett
It only took one audition to get Khatter the role.
“I was shooting a film in Mumbai and I sent a self-recording,” Khatter says of submitting the tape for the audition. “I didn’t have any friends or anyone who could help me record the audition, so it’s the first audition in my life where I played with my own voice. I guess it worked, so I think I’ll be doing it more often.”
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Perfect Couple hit the top spot on Netflix after premiering on September 5th, and Khatter already has another show with the streamer in the works: Royalin which he will play a charming prince. Khatter dreams of eventually working with “all-time greats” like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino.
“Acting and my work are the best outlet and the best form of self-expression I have in my life,” says Khatter. “I’m not in a hurry for people to get to know me through my words. I’d rather let them see my work, and hopefully they’ll be curious to see more, and hopefully I can continue to surprise and excite them with my work as it goes.”
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Perfect Couple currently streaming on Netflix.
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Source: HIS Education