New Delhi: Ishaan Khatter has been hopping from press tours to premieres in London and Los Angeles for his recently released Netflix show The Perfect Couple. He even managed to squeeze in a quick 36-hour trip to New York before finally touching down in Mumbai on Monday.
“Honestly, I don’t know what day or time it is anymore,” admitted Khatter to ThePrint, laughing about his whirlwind schedule.
The Perfect Couple marks Khatter’s grand debut in America. He plays Shooter Dival, a mysterious, and undeniably charming rich boy, who’s got everyone on their toes—and it’s not just because of the murder mystery.
It only took a week for Khatter to land the role of Dival in the Netflix series.
“I was filming in Mumbai when my agent sent me the casting call. I had to shoot a self-tape, and this was back in January 2023,” Khatter recalled. Within a week, he got the callback, and just like that, his visa was on its way.
For the last few months, Khatter’s social media game has been at its peak with thirst traps and curated behind-the-scenes clips. All leading up to his appearance on the Netflix series. With over 20 million views on opening weekend, the show has catapulted him to Bollywood ‘it boy’ status.
But, the actor isn’t a recent discovery. He has been around for seven years. He debuted with Majid Majidi’s critically acclaimed Beyond the Clouds in 2017.
Khatter calls his time with the Iranian filmmaker the “purest” experience he’s ever had.
“I was so raw back then. I gave everything—my body, mind, and soul—to that film. It was such a wholesome experience as an actor, knowing that someone like Majidi had my back. That’s rare these days, and I’ll always cherish it,” he said.
Since he entered the entertainment industry, Khatter has been breaking barriers. After Beyond The Clouds, the actor made waves with lead roles in Dhadak (2018) and Khaali Peeli (2020), followed by A Suitable Boy (2020), Phone Bhoot (2022), and Pippa (2023). He has never played it safe.
“Conventional is boring, no?” he said, revealing his natural instinct to surprise audiences. “I have been conscious about my choice of projects but at the same time, not strategising. The goal is to make sure the surprises are mostly pleasant ones, of course.”
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Bonding with Nicole Kidman
For Khatter, The Perfect Couple isn’t just another series. Apart from being his international debut, it holds a special place in his heart because of the crew. Khatter is totally smitten with his co-stars—especially Nicole Kidman.
He describes her as a “wholesome person” and reveals how the two bonded over Kidman’s fascination with India.
“She was so curious about the different sub-cultures and communities in India. It made for some of the best conversations I’ve had with her,” Khatter said.
But his admiration for Kidman doesn’t stop there.
“She’s an absolute joy to work with. She has this calm, grounded energy that comes from decades of experience. She’s a star, an icon, but also full of life and totally invested in what she’s doing,” he added.
The Perfect Couple, a six-part series adapted from Elin Hilderbrand’s best-selling novel, is directed by The Night Manager fame Susanne Bier.
Khatter joins a star-studded cast including Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Meghann Fahy, and more, holding his own among these seasoned stars.
Khatter hit it off with the entire cast, including Fahy, Eve Hewson, Dakota Fanning, and Billy Howle.
A scan of his Instagram will reveal all the fun behind the scenes. From barbecues to axe-throwing contests, the cast found all kinds of ways to kill time while shooting in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
“They were all such fantastic, well-rounded people. I felt right at home with them, even though it was a completely new culture for me. Sure, there were a few things I needed to adjust to, but overall, it was a wholesome experience,” Khatter said.
One particularly memorable trip was a cast adventure to Provincetown, an hour-long drive from Cape Cod.
“We went whale-watching, saw a drag show, and just hung out. We also went bowling, and of course, there was more axe-throwing,” the actor recalled.
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Always staying abroad
Ever since Khatter went to the USA to shoot The Perfect Couple last year in March, he has barely been in India.
“That’s not true! Okay, partly maybe,” he said, giving a quick walkthrough of his hectic schedule.
Between March and July last year, Khatter was in Cape Cod. But, as luck would have it, the US film and TV industries were caught in a storm of labour strikes.
Production delays pushed the wrap-up of The Perfect Couple to January 2024, with the final scenes being shot in London and LA.
And with his packed promotion schedule, he hasn’t had the chance to catch up with his friends or family about the show. His mother, actor Neelima Azeem, however, has already weighed in.
“I was so relieved to see how much she loved the show and my performance. Sure, I’m her son, but her opinions carry real weight. She broke down every little aspect of the film she enjoyed, and I couldn’t be more relieved,” he shared. The response from fans, Khatter added, has been nothing short of “amazing and unexpected”.
From the very start, Khatter’s vision has been global. While Bollywood remains his home base, he’s gone after opportunities that stretch across borders. And, his goal has always been growth.
“For me, it’s all about growing as a performer, as an artist, and carving my own space. Wherever the exciting work is, that’s where I want to be,” he said.
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Coffee and thirst traps
Khatter’s new era is a revelation. He is obsessing over coffee, art museums, and even dropping thirst traps.
Khatter doesn’t just drink coffee, he makes it—and he’s proud of it.
“I love making coffee more than drinking it. It’s something I take pride in,” he confessed.
His love for coffee is so well-known, it’s become a bit of a legend on the sets of The Perfect Couple.
Co-stars Hewson and Fanning couldn’t help but tease him and the other guys (Schreiber, Reynor, and Howle) for their constant bean-grinding sessions.
“They’d sit there, grinding beans, getting hot water, and then just keep grinding,” Fanning said in a video with Netflix, complete with sound effects.
In a recent interview with Dirty Magazine, Khatter went as far as to call himself a “coffee snob”. But it’s not just his coffee-making skills that are grabbing attention.
His spread with the lifestyle publication is all anyone can talk about. The internet can’t get enough of his sensual poses and sculpted physique.
The interview’s blurb paints a picture of the perfect modern man: “He’s cute. He’s hot. He reads. He journals. He’s emotionally available. He’s working on himself and fixing his unhealthy patterns. Ishaan Khatter is a walking green flag, and his thirst trap era is just getting started.”
With fans swooning over his Instagram posts, Khatter’s officially been dubbed the “most eligible bachelor of Bollywood.” And, he is flattered.
“I’m growing into myself, becoming a young man, and I think people are seeing that. The timing’s perfect too because I feel like I’m at a pivot point in my career. I’m really enjoying this phase of my life,” he said.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)