‘Virat and I did date’ says model turned actress Izabelle Leite

Mumbai: Brazilian model and actress Izabelle Leite stars in last week’s release, Purani Jeans. Izabelle, who moved to India just a few years ago, admits that it hasn’t been easy adjusting in an alien country.

Iza, as she is fondly known, tells us, “When I landed in India, I did not even know how to cross the road. The traffic is crazy and can intimidate anyone. I had to learn everything from scratch: Right from buying food, to cooking with the ingredients available in Mumbai and scouting for work.”

Iza has already been linked to cricketer Virat Kohli and actor Sidharth Malhotra, but she prefers to call them “friends”. She says, “I have some very dear friends and if I catch up with them, it becomes news! With Virat, we dated for a while, but now he’s a friend. Sid is just a good friend. In the beginning, I would be upset by such talks, but my friends who live with me know what’s going on in my life and only they matter to me.”

Just Friends: Izabelle Leite with Virat Kohli (Photo: Deccan Chronicle)

The actress’s family in Brazil is always excited about the projects she bags and keeps tabs on what’s happening in her life. “Not just films, they even get excited about my modelling assignments,” Iza says. “My mom is most excited and stays abreast of everything I do. I call home every day and speak to each of my family members. I’ve been learning Hindi and have been teaching them some as well. It’s certainly not been easy here, but I live with friends who I know I can fall back on when I need any help.”

On the professional front, Iza is excited about her latest release Purani Jeans, although it hasn’t faired well in the box-office. “Purani Jeans is only my second film, the first being Sixteen,” Iza says. “I’ve learnt a lot over these two projects. The film is set in the ’90s and brought back memories of my teenage years.”