Bollywood’s Ishaan Khatter Talks Hollywood Debut, Working With Nicole Kidman In “The Perfect Couple
Bollywood is making its mark in Hollywood, and Ishaan Khatter is leading the charge with his impressive U.S. debut in The Perfect Couple. At just 28, Ishaan is already wowing American audiences, starring alongside big names like Nicole Kidman in this Netflix murder mystery series. Based on Elin Hilderbrand’s novel, the show has quickly climbed to No. 1 on Netflix since its September 5 premiere.
For Ishaan, stepping into Hollywood was made even more exciting by working with what he calls a “pretty perfect cast.” Speaking to PEOPLE, he described his experience on the show as “awe-inspiring,” particularly when he first met his costar, Nicole Kidman, who plays the mother of the groom, Greer Garrison Winbury.
“She was as normal as any other actor on set,” Ishaan said, noting that they had plenty to talk about outside of the show’s storyline. He even praised her “hypnotizing eyes,” which made their scenes together all the more engaging. “It’s going to be one of the pleasures of my young career,” he added.
Filming The Perfect Couple took Ishaan and the cast to Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where they spent four months immersing themselves in the local culture. When not on set, the Bollywood actor and his fellow cast members enjoyed whale watching, wine tasting, visiting Provincetown, and even making trips to Trader Joe’s.
“I can definitely say that I am nearly as well ensconced with the geography of Cape Cod now as maybe a local would be,” he joked.
Ishaan plays Shooter Dival, the groom’s childhood friend and best man — a role originally written as a white character in the book. But director Susanne Bier had a vision for a more inclusive casting. “She took the liberty with my character to cast agnostic of ethnicity. Susanne’s vision was very distinct, and I wanted her to be my guiding force and not the book as much,” Ishaan explained.
Though he didn’t dive deeply into the book, the actor skimmed through it to get a feel for the story, which centers around a murder during a wedding weekend in Nantucket, Massachusetts. He assured fans that the show stays true to the original plot, saying, “Essentially, it’s the same beats, it’s the same arc, it’s the same story, and you’re going to see it come to life on the screen.”
Interestingly, Ishaan’s journey to landing the role was almost as unconventional as his character’s casting. While shooting a movie in Mumbai, he submitted a self-tape audition — playing off his own voice due to the lack of a scene partner. “It’s the first audition in my life that I did playing off my own voice,” he shared, adding, “I guess it worked, so I think I’m going to do that more often.”
And the success doesn’t stop with The Perfect Couple, as Ishaan already has another project lined up with Netflix: The Royals, in which he will play none other than Prince Charming. Looking to the future, he dreams of working with Hollywood legends like Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino. But for now, he’s focused on letting his work speak for itself. “The best outlet and the best form of self-expression I have in my life is acting and my work. I’m in no hurry for people to get to know me through my words. I’d rather let people see my work, and hopefully they’ll be curious to see more, and hopefully I can keep surprising them and exciting them with my work as it comes,” he stated.
