Aishwarya Rai is in Europe shooting for "The Last Legion", her first international project in which she does not play an Indian character, and she's having a great time.

Seldom has Aishwarya sounded happier. Her tinkling laughter rings loud and clear over the phone line from Slovakia where she's now shooting for the last lap of the film.

She's gung-ho about her co-stars Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley. "They're wonderful actors and terrific friends. I'm having the time of my life."

Her happiness has also a lot to do with the way the shooting of "The Last Legion" has gone. "We've completed a truly exhausting and exhilarating schedule in Tunisia. And now we've moved to Slovakia. You know, it was warm in Tunisia - actually very hot. And now, right after that, it's freezing cold in Slovakia. I guess I'm trapped in an aura of extremism," Aishwarya told IANS.

Is it worthwhile to brave the vagaries of the weather in strange lands? "Of course it is! It's all so strange and new and exciting. And yet so familiar. I've always worked with units where I'm totally at home. Even away from home I'm lucky to feel so relaxed."

Aishwarya has worked with foreign units before, mainly in Gurinder Chaddha's "Bride & Prejudice" and Chadha's husband's "Mistress of Spices" where the entire unit was composed of foreigners. Now it is "The Last Legion".

"True. But you know me. I don't differentiate from one unit to another, or between one language and another. For me working with Rituparno Ghosh in Bengali was as important as doing an English-language film. Both demand and get an equal amount of my attention."

"But you know what? I'm homesick. I'm looking forward to returning home when I start work on 'Umrao Jaan'."

From the sword-wielding medieval European warrior in "The Last Legion" to the courtesan in "Umrao Jaan" is quite a leap.

"Oh, I enjoy taking leaps into the unknown," Ash laughs.

Aishwarya's current assignments are: Jagmohan Mundhra's "Provoked"; Paul Berges' "The Mistress Of Spices"; Doug Lefler's "The Last Legion"; J.P. Dutta's "Umrao Jaan"; Sanjay Gadhvi's "Dhoom 2"; Ashutosh Gowariker's "Jodha-Akbar" and Raj Kumar Santoshi's "Saamna".