Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 8, 2017)

Irrfan Khan who was at an event in Dubai on Wednesday to accept an honorary award for contribution to international cinema, shared the stage with Academy Award-winning Australian actress Cate Blanchett, X-Men actor Patrick Stewart and Egyptian writer Wahid Hamed.

Irrfan who admires Cate for her performances in films like Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine, Todd Haynes’s Carol and Richard Eyre’s Notes on a Scandal, describes her as an “incredibly talented actress” and admits meeting her and being honoured with her was a “truly a great moment”. “She’s my most favourite actor in the world so this occasion was even more special,” reiterates the actor who is waiting for an opportunity to collaborate with her. “Her work has been incredible, I admire her deeply. We didn’t discuss Bollywood but it was great to meet her and have a conversation with her,” the actor said.