Riz Ahmed was in ''awe of'' Kate Hudson's multi-tasking on the 'Reluctant Fundamentalist' set.

The actor stars alongside the Hollywood beauty in the forthcoming political thriller from Mira Nair and was struck by how the actress managed to juggle looking after newborn son, Bingham Hawn Bellamy - her first child with fiancé Matthew Bellamy - and get into character at a moment's notice.

He explained to BANG Showbiz exclusively: ''She's such a down to earth, cool girl. What's amazing about her is she just had a baby just before filming, so she was breastfeeding on set and then she quickly passed the baby across to someone else. She'd do up her top, and [when the director yelled] 'Action', she'd burst into tears. That level of focus was something I was in awe of.''

In 'The Reluctant Fundamentalist', Ahmed plays Changez Khan, a wide-eyed immigrant who moves from his homeland of Pakistan to the United States in pursuit of the American dream, but after attaining a high-powered position on Wall Street, he decides to give it all up to move back home amidst changing attitudes in a post-9/11 world. Back on home soil, Changez becomes a teacher but is targeted by the CIA in a high-stakes hostage situation that could have diplomatic consequences.

Having already starred in numerous films and TV shows that touch on the subject of 9/11 - including 'Four Lions' and 'Britz' - the actor insists his latest flick isn't necessarily about terrorism.

He said: ''The film's not really about 9/11, but the modern world that we live in - this globalised world in which it's easy to lose your sense of self.''

'The Reluctant Fundamentalist' is in cinemas on May 10.