Actor Esha Deol says she is thrilled to work for the first time with a female director in her new movie ``Just Married'' about arranged marriages, a news report said on Tuesday.

Arranged marriages are common in India, where relatives and friends often help set up meetings between couples that often lead to marriage.

The movie is being directed by Meghna Gulzar, daughter of prominent Bollywood director and lyricist Gulzar, who uses one name. It is based on a short story and deals with issues faced by couples in arranged marriages.

``It's generally said that men can bring out the best performance from a woman ... but somewhere deep down, only a woman knows what a woman goes through,'' The Times of India newspaper quoted Deol as saying.

``And Meghna Gulzar being a female herself understood my character more than any man would,'' she said.

Deol also is acting in ``Ankahee,'' a movie which deals with the perils of falling in love with a married man.

Deol has acted in more than 15 Indian movies. Her most recent hits were ``Dhoom,'' and "Yuva."