"Gully Boy" fame actor Vijay Varma, who will be seen in Mira Nair's series "A Suitable Boy", seems to be in awe of the director, whom he calls the "mother of filmmakers".
"Working with Zoya Akhtar for 'Gully Boy' has been joyous and liberating. She's so thorough with her prep that you have all the luxury to enjoy the scene fully because everything else is taken care of... And Mira is a mentor to Zoya, so I am imagining this to be a meeting with the mother of filmmakers," Vijay said.
In the Indian-American filmmaker's series, which is an adaptation of Vikram Seth's much acclaimed novel with the same name, Vijay will be seen playing the character of Rasheed, a student at Brahmpur University and also an Arabic teacher.
"I was over the moon just to get a chance to be in a room with her (Mira Nair) and read the lines for her. She is vibrant, wide-eyed and inclusive. I'm looking forward to learn a great deal by seeing her work on this elaborate tale.
I have always been a huge fan of her work. It started with 'Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love', which I sneaked away and watched alone in a dingy theatre in Hyderabad, scared about getting caught by an acquaintance or family member -- although that would have made a great story. Then 'Monsoon Wedding' left an impact.
But it was 'The Namesake' that affected me the most subliminally. It's in the list of my top 10 films in the world," Vijay added.