Jackky Bhagnani chooses the unbeaten path

With his debut film Kal Kissne Dekha slated for release shortly, Jackky Bhagnani is experiencing various emotions. But getting there wasn't a cakewalk.

"People think it's easy when you have a godfather in the industry. The truth is, it's all the more pressurizing. I hate being called bade baap ka beta. Even if I wasn't Vashu Bhagnani's son, I'd want to be an actor. I've been working on myself since I was 16. It's not easy realizing a dream especially when the world says that you don't have what it takes. It's my personal conviction and dedication that drove me. I literally had to start from minus," Jackky admits in a heartfelt conversation.

Kal Kissne Dekha launches Jackky Bhagnani as a non-conventional hero and though that might seem as a slight risk to some, he feels differently. "The audience today is open-minded, so I wanted to entertain them in a new way rather than taking the beaten path," he justifies.

Whenever a newcomer makes a high-profile debut, he's inundated with plum offers even before his debut film hits the screen. But Jackky doesn't seem to be in a hurry. "I just want to wait and concentrate on this film. Also, the offers must excite me since I would want to outdo myself the next time. I am my biggest critic," the confident debutante tells me.

Jackky cherishes the experience of sharing screen space with icon Rishi Kapoor. "I was very nervous initially. But he made me so comfortable. It was a dream to work with him and I feel blessed that I got an opportunity in my very first film," he states.