Director Ruchi Narain is on cloud nine. Her directorial debut, "Kal" has been selected for the South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) in New York among the other acclaimed films that will be screened there.

The film will be screened on Dec 9 after which it has been invited to the Florence Film Festival.

"It is a gratifying feeling. The film is taking me places and I am glad that it is getting the critical acclaim it deserves despite the box-office constraints," she reveals.

Narain, who has started working on her second film, will cast known names in the project.

"The people who invested in 'Kal' want me to direct a film for them and I have already finalised the script of the film. I would not like to comment on its subject at this stage.

"Talks are already on with a few actors," she says.

She is apprehensive of working with newcomers because of the last-minute problems she faced with Chitrangada Singh on the eve of the release of "Kal" - her first film.

"The experience has made me a little wary about working with a debut-making actor, though I am a new director myself.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to work with Chitrangada again after the harrowing experience I went through in the pre-release stage of the film," she says.