Nimrat Kaur on her second appearance at Cannes

How many people from the Mumbai theatre stage do you see sashaying on the red carpet at Cannes? With just her second appearance at the French Riviera, Nimrat Kaur has gained the attention of not only cinephiles back home but also the international press. After the ‘it' girl Freida Pinto, Nimrat has been able to generate quite a similar dose of curiosity overseas.

Joining the likes of young Indian actresses like Miss Pinto and Sonam Kapoor to represent India on the red carpet must have been an exhilarating feeling, we ask. Speaking from Cannes, Nimrat shoots back like a pro, "While some are there for brand endorsements, I was there with the cast of my film. It's a different kind of exposure and interaction."

At Cannes with Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox, Nimrat says it was like a dream to be associated with such an outstanding cast -- Irrfan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui -- in a film that "struck a chord in the hearts of even the foreign audience". In fact, the actress can't stop gushing about her up, close and personal moment with Vidya Balan. She says, "I happened to talk to Vidya over dinner. She told me her husband (Siddharth Roy Kapur) couldn't stop raving about the film. It just feels fabulous. I am finally getting to hang out with my film cast right here in Cannes."

After touching down on the Indian soil, Nimrat is looking to make the most of what lies ahead. "The Cannes experience was wonderful. Right now I am looking for all sorts of work. The way is only up and forward from here. Hopefully, I have not run out of luck," says the model-turned-actress.

Miles away from the Cannes hoopla, what are her plans now? "I need to sleep for an entire day! Though everything looked perfect, the behind the scenes was such a madness there.

But then life takes over again," signs off Nimrat.

Stage craft
Starting her career as a print model, Nimrat moved to doing theatre with directors Sunil Shanbag and Manav Kaul in Mumbai. She was part of plays like Baghdad Wedding, All About Women and Red Sparrow.

Her Cannes' first: was with Anurag Kashyap's production Peddlers last year. After watching the film, Batra roped in Nimrat for The Lunchbox. u00a0