Turkish sensation Hande Erçel is in India! On our way to the shoot, the actor is stopped by several fans for selfies. She is on her maiden visit to the country as she attends FICCI Frames 2024. Surprised by her fan following, she sits down with us for a chat at a Mumbai cafe.

“I am excited to be here. I’ve been thinking about visiting India for a long time now, and it has finally happened. I had guessed that I might have fans here, but not these many. I won’t be able to meet and hug them, but in my heart, I’m doing that,” says the 30-year-old.

Apprehensive to try Indian food, the actor did have a taste of biryani as soon as she landed in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I follow Bollywood and really admire the work done here. I would like to work with (actors) Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone,” she admits. Erçel has been a part of several popular Turkish series, including Güneşin Kızları, Aşk Laftan Anlamaz, Sen Çal Kapımı and Halka.

The actor, who will next be seen in Intoxicated By Love, says, the one thing she admires about Indians is “their loyalty to their culture”. She adds, “They are not afraid to show it. They spread it to other parts of the world too, and I respect that a lot.”