Harleen Kaur is a Brazilian model

The identity of Harleen Kaur of ‘Love Aaj Kal’ (pictured above) has finally been revealed.

The tall, slim and strikingly pretty actress has generated curiosity ever since the film’s promos went on air, but the makers managed to keep her under wraps, as was the plan.

“After the film releases you would know why it’s been done,” director Imtiaz Ali had said.

And now the reason has become known.

Harleen has been played by a 19-year-old Brazilian model called Giselle Monteiro, who had approached Ali to audition for the role of Jo, Saif’s Swiss girlfriend in the film.

On his wife’s suggestion Ali took her for Harleen’s part, especially since he had not been unable to cast for that role despite auditioning girls from all over India.

Imtiaz Ali says if audiences had known beforehand that a Brazilian is playing a Punjabi girl-next-door in his film, they may have been put off by the idea, so that’s why her identity was hidden all this while.

By the way, Giselle does not know how to speak Hindi. But in the film she has only two lines to speak, which were dubbed.

However, it was not so simple when it came to dance. Apparently, a lot of hard work and frustration went into making her get the steps right for the sequence showing her dancing at a wedding, which turned out to be her own engagement ceremony.