Exclusive: Dustin Hoffman was fascinated by Indian classical music: Shweta Pandit

Bollywood singer Shweta Pandit, who is based in Italy, met Oscar-winning Hollywood actors Dustin Hoffman and Helen Hunt recently. Shweta’s husband, filmmaker Ivano Fucci, is the executive producer on an international project featuring the Hollywood stars.

Talking about the time she spent with Hoffman, she said, “I got to know Mr. Hoffman over the last couple of weeks. When I first met him and introduced myself, he asked me to send him some of my music. I thought that was amazing because you wouldn’t expect such a response from someone so busy.”

(L-R) Ivano Fucci, Izana, Dustin Hoffman and Shweta

What impressed her was that Hoffman had a good ear for Indian music. “He was extremely fascinated by Indian classical music. In fact, we attended attended the Puccini concert in Italy together. Puccini is one of the greatest maestros of music, at par with Mozart and Beethoven. He spoke about his love for music and told me that he, too, learnt music before becoming an actor. I also met his family, who were extremely humble and loving. Meeting someone as great as him, who has inspired millions of actors across the globe with his performances in films like Tootsie and Kramer vs. Kramer, was incredible. Sitting with him, having coffee, and sharing meals was so amazing.”

At the Puccini concert in Italy

Shweta’s four-year-old daughter Izana also bonded with Hoffman. “He was happy to meet my daughter and we all took some lovely candid pictures. It felt like a family picture, not one with a superstar or legend.”