Perfect Match: I like that my character is objective

You’ve walked the red carpet in London and Los Angeles, and the show you did with Nicole Kidman is on the most watched Netflix charts.

How does it feel?

“Impressive, in a good way,” says Indian actor Ishaan Khatter.

The last few weeks have been hectic for the 28-year-old, who plays Shooter Dival in the murder mystery Perfect Couple.

Ishaan says it was a “no-brainer” to get the part, even though it was different from what he had done before.

“The most exciting thing, the most encouraging thing about it was the way the character was written and it didn’t feel like a sign of diversity,” he says.

Ishaan, from Mumbai, has made his name in Bollywood with films like Pippa and Dhadak, as well as the BBC drama The Suitable Boy.

Speaking to BBC Asia’s Haroon Rasheed, he says the casting process for The Perfect Couple was “ethnic agnostic” and actors of various nationalities auditioned.

He says his character “Shooter” is mysterious and “three-dimensional” and credits the writers and director Suzanne Bier for that.

“It’s fun to play in red herrings,” he says.

“It’s everything you want the audience to really take for a ride. And that’s a testament to good art,” he says.

A shower scene featuring Shooter was used in the show’s trailers, and Ishaan says it’s a rare example of a Hollywood production portraying a South Asian man “desirably”.

“Yes, I was objectified,” he says with a smile.

“That was one of the things that made the character unique and interesting to me.

“It’s a moment of history in that sense.

“I just thought it was a great character and it was fun to play,” he says.

And he knows how important this change can be to give more opportunities to South Asian artists in Western productions.

Ishaan says the audience will see young Indian actors in a “new light”.

“As a viewer, I was like, ‘Yeah, we have to do more than that.’

“I understand the sacredness of the place you represent on a global scale.

“I’m very happy to be in this position and to be able to be a part of something that is a stepping stone.”

Landing a spot in a cast that already included Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber and Dakota Fanning, Ishaan asked director Suzanne why she had cast him.

He was shocked by her response: “She was like, ‘I have a feeling you can be happy. You have what it takes to be a happy person.”

“He was looking for a similar line,” he says.

But despite having a “young career” she felt ready enough to “have the confidence to hold my own and be myself”.

“So I’m just doing myself. I’m not doing anything else.”

He also credits these names and the extended team for helping him through tough times.

Ishaan says filming in Cape Cod, Massachusetts over four months was a “long, drawn-out process” and was where he first experienced homesickness.

But he says the actors are connected and that was the difference.

“We just had each other’s company,” he says.

“Being able to hang out, doing things like ax throwing or whale watching.

“It definitely helped with the thirst of the house.”

In spite of positive reviews For his performance, Ishan is not hand in hand.

“There’s definitely a lot of self-regulation,” he says.

“Ego is the death of an actor and it’s really important for me to keep growing.

“I’m more interested in finding my potential than showing what I’ve already done, that’s not interesting to me.

“Getting feedback from the audience means a lot.

“This is what we do.

“Love was simply beautiful and all-encompassing.”

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