The British Indian actor Naveen Andrews, 44, will be very much in the news next month when the Hollywood film, Diana, goes on general release on September 20 after its world premiere in London on September 5.

Naveen plays Hasnat Khan, the Pakistani heart surgeon, now 54, whom Princess Diana, portrayed by the Australian actress Naomi Watts, was apparently desperate to marry.

One assumes the real Hasnat, now based at the Essex Cardiothoracic Centre, Basildon, will not demand a ticket for the premiere but it would be interesting to read his review. It's said that Diana, who had clearly become mentally unhinged, even considered moving to Pakistan with William and Harry after marrying Hasnat — as though the Queen would have allowed that.

The doctor had no intention of marrying Diana, but was more than willing to spend nights in her boudoir after being smuggled into Kensington Palace in the boot of a car. The film, directed by a German, Oliver Hirschbiegel, with a screenplay by Stephen Jeffreys, includes some 'sensitive' love scenes.

As the couple roll out of bed onto the floor, Diana tells Hasnat, 'I love feeling your hand there,' as he strokes her cheek.

Hasnat responds by quoting Rumi: 'If you can't smell the fragrance, don't come into the garden of love.'

I had heard Diana rented Bollywood videos in order to get a deeper understanding of Islam.

Naveen Andrews has done a variety of roles in the past: the wife beater Deepak Ahluwalia opposite Aishwarya Rai in Provoked (2006); Balraj, a suitor, in Gurinder Chadha's Bride and Prejudice (2004); Sayid Jarrah in the US television series Lost (2004 onwards); Kip in The English Patient (1996); and Raj Singh in Mira Nair's Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996), which was shot in India.

The 44-year-old actor, born in London of Christian parents from Kerala, is now settled in the US. His profiles tell of a complicated love life, including how as a 16-year-old schoolboy he started living with his maths teacher ('she's teaching me multiplication, mum') and later had a child with her.

Diana went twice to Pakistan to meet Imran and Jemima Khan and especially Hasnat's mother Naheed, though the old lady wasn't at all encouraging.

'Diana was madly in love with Hasnat Khan and wanted to marry him, even if that meant living in Pakistan,' Jemima recently told Vanity Fair.

Jemima said that Diana 'wanted to know how hard it had been for me to adapt to life in Pakistan'.

The answer was very.

Fielding Wills

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  Indian bond: Prince William

The respected Labour MP, Frank Field, 71, who has represented his constituency Birkenhead since 1971, has made an intriguing suggestion which he believes would secure the long-term future of the Commonwealth.

He wants Prince William to be named the permanent head of the Commonwealth and even live in India and send his children to local schools.

I could add to the Field plan by suggesting William lives in Calcutta and sends Prince George to somewhere like Calcutta Boys' or St Xavier's. It would indeed be charming if George grew up speaking English like, say, Pranab Mukherjee.

Field's plan has nothing to do with the recent disclosure that William has some kind of genetic link with India. The connection going back 200 years to a part-Indian ancestor, Eliza Kewark — William's 'great, great, great, great, great grandmother' — was established by BritainsDNA, a genetic ancestry testing company.

'It was Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister, who closed down any debate on the headship of the Commonwealth after George VI's death by sending the Queen a message within hours of her accession (February 6, 1952) 'welcoming Your Majesty as the new head of the Commonwealth',' according to Field.

He wants Prince Charles to make the William announcement in November when he goes to inaugurate Chogm in Colombo: 'My suggestion would be that Charles nominates his son, Prince William, for the role.'

If the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge 'would consider living in a major Commonwealth country (possibly India?) and sending their children to Commonwealth schools and universities, it could prove to be a game changer,' adds Field.

If Calcutta was good enough for Curzon, it should be good enough for William.

Network Cable

When the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) president Kris Gopalakrishnan was in London in June, he sought an appointment with Vince Cable, secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, and a key member of David Cameron's Cabinet.

Gopalakrishnan was heading a delegation which had come for this year's annual CII summit, with the theme, 'Indo-UK Partnerships: Working towards Global Growth'.

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  Well-meaning: Vince Cable and Kris Gopalakrishnan

Cable was warned not to meet Gopalakrishnan because the CII president, who is also executive vice-chairman of Infosys, was threatening to bring new jobs, prosperity and investment into the UK.

But Cable, a Lib Dem who labours under the impression it is the responsibility of politicians to help voters who elect them, not only met the CII president but also greeted him like a long lost friend.

In his presidential address at the summit, I remember Gopalakrishnan projected an honest picture of the Indian economy, admitting growth had slowed but that long-term prospects for investors were good.

'In a couple of years we will become a two trillion economy that continues to grow,' said Gopalakrishnan. 'In many sectors the Indian markets have quite simply exploded, ranging from engineering and automotive goods to consumer durables and FMCG products. India today is the second largest global market for public private partnership projects in infrastructure.'

Clearly, 'Kris' is a dangerous fellow. Should such a well- meaning entrepreneur, who goes round pulling people out of poverty, be allowed to continue? Who knows but given half a chance he may, like Ratan Tata, even want to do good in West Bengal?

Split opinion

British cricket commentators on BBC Radio's TMS (Test Match Special) think the DRS (decision review system) is great when it allows England batsmen, who have clearly been caught at slip, to stay. And bad, when the benefit goes to Australian batsmen.

Van wars

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  Hitting out: Shami Chakrabarti's van

In an exercise widely condemned as xenophobic, the home office, headed by would-be Tory leader Theresa May, sent out large vans into immigrant areas of London last month warning overstaying migrants to 'Go home, or you'll be picked up and deported'.

Labour peer Lord Lipsey has reported the ads to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), while the union Unite called the government's campaign 'vile'. Shadow foreign office minister Ian Lucas said the home office's van campaign was a cynical PR stunt that played to anti-foreigner instincts.

Now, the human rights organisation, Liberty (headed by Bengali girl Shami Chakrabarti), has caused much hilarity by responding with its own van that is circling the home office, Westminster and surrounding areas with its retaliatory message, 'Stirring up tension and division in the UK illegally? Home Office, think again.'

Tittle tattle

The release of Chennai Express has encouraged UK Indians to do some hurried maths. They have worked out that in three years Deepika Padukone will be 30 and may be considered over the hill by Bollywood. But she may be able to play SRK's mother. He will still be a youthful 50.