You can safely say that meeting director Sanjay Gupta two years ago was the biggest turning point of my life. I did Dus Kahaniyan (2007) with him and he signed me up for his next three celluloid ventures last year.

Shooting for the first of these, Alibaug, has just about wrapped up and I am really excited about the project.

The second film that I intend doing with Gupta is an unnamed action thriller, but what is interesting is that Gupta and I have developed a close friendship over time and he has almost become like family to me. His films have a lot of action and style and I find that really inspiring.

I’m also awaiting the release of the biggest Bollywood flick of the year, Aneez Bazmee’s Singh is Kinng in August. I play the role of a gangster in this film — it was great fun doing it. The film has all the ingredients that an action thriller should have. It’s been an honour to star in this huge flick and also to co-star Akshay Kumar, who’s been like a big brother to me in Bollywood.

But I didn’t debut with Gupta and I did other things between my debut and Dus Kahaniyan. My first film was Khiladi 420 (2000), also starring Akshay Kumar.

I was also part of a boy band in Mumbai titled, A Band of Boys. I set up this band along with five others about six years ago and quit three years back but I haven’t quite given up music — not as yet.

In fact, I’m doing some songs in Alibaug and also sang for Dus Kahaniyan. But I want to concentrate on acting now.

(As told to Nandini Guha)