Even before his maiden release ‘James’, Mohit Ahlawat is being touted as the next big thing to happen in Bollywood after Shah Rukh Khan.

When I met him, Mohit asserted that he had not financed Ramgopal Varma to launch him with James. So I started off with asking him why he set out to be an actor in the first place? Mohit quipped, “Frankly, I was fascinated and attracted by the glamour of the film industry and wanted to get into it. Bhushan Kumar happens to be a family friend, and I met a lot of stars through him.”

What’s interesting is the fact that despite being a being fan of Ramu, Mohit had actually turned down his initial offer. “I had always yearned to start my career with Ramuji. Ever since I saw Satya, I had become a big fan of his. He offered me a negative role in a film, which he was planning to make at that point of time, and asked me to bring my photos. I didn’t go back to him with my photos because I didn’t want to take up negative roles in the beginning of my career.”

Later, Bhushan asked him to go and meet Ramu again because Ramu had enquired about him. “Ramu told me that I had an amazing screen presence. He boosted my confidence by telling me that I was specially made for the camera. He asked me to wait patiently till he launched me as a leading man. That was three and a half years ago. Thus began a learning period for me.”

Mohit trusts Ramuji a lot because “he believed in me when no one did.”

He is now all set to play the part of Jai, which Amitabh Bachchan had essayed in Sholay in Ramgopal Verma Ki Sholay. “Ramuji has also told me that I will be playing a double role in King. It will not be exactly a remake of Don because both the characters that I play - that of the positive as well as the negative, will remain alive till the end of the film.— MF