As a famous actor , Juliet Stevenson may be used to walking past crowds of adoring fans and the paparazzi on the red carpet . But she was unprepared for the adulation she received while filming a biopic about Mother Teresa in the slums of India . As she passed through the slums , locals dropped to the ground believing the Nobel Peace Prize winner had been brought back to life to care for the poor . Scroll down for video . Juliet Stevenson was treated like a saint while filming a biopic on the Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa . Stevenson , who is not a Christian , was wary of taking on the role but said it had been a 'wonderful challenge ' Stevenson told The Observer : ' I was filming in her iconic white sari with the blue stripes . 'People would come up to me , drop and touch my hem ... in India , she 's still revered . She lifted tens of thousands of people off the streets and into her care . ' Stevenson , who starred in films such as Truly , Madly , Deeply , The Politician 's Wife and Accused , is heading the cast of the forthcoming feature film about Mother Teresa , The Letters . The biopic explores the life of the saint through letters she wrote to her longtime friend and spiritual advisor , Father Celeste van Exem over a nearly 50-year period . The letters , published in 2007 , revealed her crisis of faith and the torment of feeling Jesus had abandoned her . Mother Teresa , who died in 1997 aged 87 , became one of the 20th century 's most influential religious figures . She founded an international order - the Missionaries of Charity - in the slums of Calcutta dedicated to the poor , disabled and dying . She won the Noble Peace Prize in 1979 for her role in founding the order and by the time of her death , it had grown to more than 4,000 sisters running orphanages , hospices and charity centres in 133 countries . The film partly draws on Mother Teresa 's secret letters , published in 2007 revealing her crisis of faith . The biopic will be released this year in the hope it coincides with Mother Teresa 's canonisation . Stevenson , who is not religious , was initially wary of taking on the role but said it had been a 'wonderful challenge ' . To perfect the role , Stevenson watched and listened 'endlessly ' to historic recordings of Mother Teresa . She told The Observer : 'It was very daunting , because I 'm so wrong for her . I 'm 5ft 8in , quite strongly built . I 'm not in any way miniature ( Mother Teresa was only 5ft ) . ' I do n't have a religious faith and she believed so ardently in God . I also could n't differ from her more when it comes to her views on women 's rights , birth control and abortion ... but it was a wonderful challenge . ' There was an early screening of The Letters at the Vatican , at the International Catholic film festival last year . Its cast also includes 85-year-old Swedish actor Max von Sydow and Rutger Hauer , who won a Golden Globe award for Best Supporting Actor in Escape from Sobibor . It is directed by William Riead who was inspired by Richard Attenborough 's Oscar-winning film Gandhi . The biopic will be released this year in the hope it coincides with Mother Teresa 's canonisation .
As actress passed through slums in costume , locals dropped to the ground . Mother TeresaBelieved Mother Teresa had been brought back to life to care for the poor . Stevenson is heading cast of forthcoming feature film about Believed Mother Teresa .