Akshay Kumar likes to associate himself with people in whom he sees his own self - Shiv Pandit

Newcomer Shiv Pandit who will soon be seen in Boss can’t thank Akshay Kumar enough for giving him the biggest opportunity of his acting career. Shiv, who was last seen in Shaitan, plays Akshay’s younger brother in Boss. Apparently, so impressed was Akshay with Shiv’s acting talents and sincerity that the superstar offered Shiv two more films under his home banner. Shiv, on his part, is modesty personified. In spite of knowing that he has found a mentor and Godfather in Akshay, Shiv was his humble self when we met him for a chat. Expressing his gratitude towards Akshay Kumar and producer Ashwin Vardhe, Shiv said, “I am here only because of two people- Akshay Kumar and Ashwin Vardhe. Ashwin liked me in Shaitan and offered me this role. When I expressed my interest, Ashwin spoke to Akshay sir who was filming Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Dobaara in Muscat.” However, Shiv’s confirmation came only after Akshay approved him. And the meeting with Akshay is something that Shiv can never forget. “When the day came to meet Akshay sir, I went in thinking that I would be auditioned. And then when I finally met Akshay, he told me, ‘You know you will have to play my brother in the movie. I nodded ‘Yes.’ Akshay then asked me, ‘Do you smoke.’ I said no. He then asked me, ‘If I drink,’ to which I again said no. And then Akshay came up to me and said “Congrats. You are in my movie.” This is perhaps the first time we have seen Akshay Kumar not just launching but also promoting a male newcomer to such a great extent. In fact, at a recent press conference Akshay even brought Shiv along with him and introduced him formally to the media. What went unnoticed was the warm sibling-like camaraderie both of them shared while on stage. When we asked the young lad about Akshay’s obvious fondness for him, Shiv said, “I feel Akshay sir likes to associate himself with people in whom he sees his own self and value system. I am grateful to Akshay for everything and will never forget him.” Well, we got to say that Shiv is a real lucky guy. After all, getting launched by a superstar like Akshay Kumar is what we would call a ‘once in a blue moon’ affair.