London: Veteran actress Judi Dench says she was reluctant to travel to India to shoot her new comedy but later became "completely addicted" to the exotic country.

Dench, 77, said she "didn't have a great desire" to check out the sights and sounds of India when she signed up to shoot "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel", Daily Star reported.  

"I wouldn't call it a culture shock, it was like a love affair for me with India. Before it, although I had family who had been out to India, I really didn't have a great desire to go and then it came up and within a day or two days I was not just bewitched by it, but I was completely addicted to it.

"I can't wait to go back and I hope that what comes out of this film is how incredible it is and how beautiful the people were," she said.

'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' will hit theatres on February 24. 

Tags: Hollywood, India, Judi Dench, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

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