Julia Roberts Meets Irrfan Khan

In LA for the Oscars Irrfan Khan met up with Julia Roberts for what turned out to be a memorable rendezvous. “On the day after the Oscars ceremony we were doing a photo-feature for a magazine when I was told Julia Roberts was closeby , and would I like to meet her? I said she didn’t know me . But I was told she did know my work.

I ran to meet her . It turned out, Julia had seen The Namesake very recently. She was doing a photo-session when we met up. She was sooooo sooooo genuinely pleased to meet me. She told me it was an honour to meet me. ‘What a beautiful film you’ve given us,’ she said. I swooned.”

Irrfan was bowled over by Julia Robert’s gracious compliments. “Such a big star and so little vanity. She not only had wonderful things to say about my film , she also lavished praise on India. ‘My kids and I love your country,’ she said. They were in India and plan to return again.”

Irrfan had to pinch and slap himself after the memorable meeting. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. She looked so lovely in her jeans and a short jacket.She was as cheerful and warm and full of compassion as she appears on screen.But I could’ve killed myself for not carrying dvds of my other films, so I could give them to Julia. I’m so badly organized.”

Another dream came true for Irrfan when he met the amazing method -actor John Malkovich. “He was at an Oscars event and said he was attending a party after 15 years. He stays in Paris and was visiting LA. I’d like to believe he came to meet me . I wanted to meet him for long. I had a very long conversation with him. I also met director Oliver Stone, whom I was waiting to meet .”

By Subhash K Jha