A French master chef goes head to head with her Indian counter-part in a new comedy starring Helen Mirren and Om Puri.

The Hundred Foot Journey is produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg and Juliet Blake and sees with two of the giants of Hollywood and Bollyood cinema share screen time for the first time.

When Hassan (Manish Dayal) and his family, led by Papa (Om Puri), move to a quaint village in the South of France with the grand plan of opening an Indian restaurant in the picturesque countryside, they are undeterred by the fact that only 100 feet opposite stands a Michelin starred classical French eatery.

However upon encountering the icy proprietress, Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren),the Kadam family realise they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Outraged by the new arrivals, Madame Mallory is determined to have their business shut down.

As cultures clash and food flies, a heated battle escalates between the two establishments – until, that is, Hassan’s passion and talent for French cuisine begin to enchant Madame Mallory and even she can’t deny this young chef could have what it takes to garner even more acclaim for her beloved restaurant.

This, along with his new-found friendship with her beautiful sous chef Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), starts to weave a magic between the two cultures and, despite their different tastes, they discover an unlikely recipe for success that surprises them all.

Om Puri said: “I rented my own apartment in Albi where I did my own cooking. When Helen Mirren arrived for shooting, I invited her home for dinner along with the rest of the crew. I cooked an Indian meal for them. When she arrived, I fell on my knees in front of her and confessed I was a fan.

“Helen laughed, made me stand up, hugged me and said she also admired my work.”

“She is such a great actress and so devoid of any vanity. I had a great time shooting with her. The one saving grace of my troubled life is that when I start to work I forget all my problems.”

British Asian actors including Rohan Chand (Jack and Jill), Amit Shah (The Infidel), Farzana Dua Elahe (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Eastenders) also star Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla features in a cameo role.

n The Hundred-Foot Journey nationwide releases nationwide on Friday, September 5.