Konkona Sen-Sharma, who won a National Award for her debut film "Mr & Mrs Iyer", is over the moon at the prospect of playing the lead in Mira Nair's celluloid adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri's acclaimed novel "The Namesake".

Initially, Rani Mukherjee was supposed to play the female lead in "The Namesake" but she opted out. And Konkona Sen-Sharma, who spiralled to fame in her mother Aparna Sen's hugely lauded film about a young Tamil woman caught in a communal riot, has now been selected to replace Rani.

"Of course I'm over the moon," says Konkona. "I just have to work out the dates. You see, I'm supposed to be shooting a Bengali film for my mother when Mira Nair wants to shoot. We're trying to push mom's film forward."

Aparna Sen, who has now postponed her Hindi project to shoot this Bengali film, is making every effort to accommodate Mira Nair into her daughter's schedule.

"And why not?" argues Konkona. "After all she's as keen that I do 'The Namesake' as I am. I'd feel terrible if I didn't do it. But I can't allow mom's film to suffer. She has suffered enough because of the postponement of her Hindi project. But I'm sure something can be worked out."

Mira Nair had stolen into Kolkata last week to try various actors for the film. The Sens had Nair over for dinner. Says Konkona, "I was so excited about meeting her. She had seen me in 'Mr & Mrs Iyer'. That's how she offered me this role, though I wasn't a Bengali woman in that film. 'The Namesake' requires me to play a housewife, albeit Bengali. I've to age from 19 to 40."

"Mira will shoot in early December in Kolkata and then in February-March in New York. I really admire Mira so much. I'm dying to work with her," Konkona adds animatedly.