Mumbai: Om Puri, who will be sharing the screen space with veteran British actress Helen Mirren in 'The Hundred-Foot Journey', has compared the 'Queen' star with Smita Patil.
The Hundred-Foot Journey is an upcoming American comedy-drama directed by Lasse Hallstrom. The film stars Mirren, Manish Dayal, Juhi Chawla and Puri.
"The special thing in this film would be that I am acting with Helen Mirren and they fall in love with each other. She is my Smita Patil," Puri told . The film will have a romantic angle between Puri, 63, and Mirren.
"It (film) has senior citizens' love angle which is tender and compassionate. There is no sexuality in it. We also danced together... We did Waltz. I was very nervous as I am not a dancer. But we moved well. She helped me," the actor said.
Off screen, Puri and Mirren shared a good rapport but there was no conversation on films as such.
"She had admiration for me. She is a wonderful co-star. I cooked meal for her two-three times and she loved the Indian food. We were living far from each other, she was living in the countryside, I was living in the city (while shooting in France). It was quite a distance. So whatever chat we had was on the sets during free time," Puri said.
Ace Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, American talk show host-actress-producer Oprah Winfrey and TV-film producer Juliet Blake are producing the film, set to release on August 8.
"I still haven't met him (Steven Spielberg). He did not come on the sets. Only Oprah Winfrey was there... She had come for three days. She is a very nice, pleasant person. She greets you in Hindi saying Namaste," Puri said.
"She said she will go to Rishikesh. She is into spirituality now. I gave her a book, 'Blue Mountain', that I was reading," he added.
