Shiv Pandit reminds me a lot of myself: Akshay Kumar

Shiv Pandit

Shiv Pandit, who plays Akshay Kumar's younger brother in his forthcoming release Boss, has a three-film deal with the actor-producer.

Shiv says bagging Boss has been a turning point in his life. "There were no auditions or look tests. Akshay just believed in me. I had the privilege of working with director Anthony D'Souza, doing a song with Prabhudeva and dancing with Sonakshi Sinha. It is a dream role," says the actor. Though he plays a lover boy, he has also performed high-octane action scenes and comedy in the film.

While casting, Akshay wanted a young, talented actor to play his brother. Several rounds of auditions were held, but none impressed him. And then, by sheer chance, he stumbled upon Shiv's debut film, Shaitaan, and liked his performance in it.

Says Akshay, "I signed him for three films because I feel he is a committed actor who has a lot of potential." There was also an emotional reason behind the decision. "Shiv reminds me a lot of myself when I started out. Even I had no backing or filmi connections. Today, I feel proud I've got an opportunity to encourage new talent," says Akshay.

Boss, produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Cape Of Good Films and Ashwin Varde Productions, releases October 18.