For Ishaan Khatter, it was a conscious decision to avoid any formal training in acting as he wanted to begin his film journey on a clean slate.

Shahid Kapoor’s little brother, who is making his film debut with Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds and getting ready for the release of Dhadak, said he made a 50-minute audition video to impress the Iranian director.

“I did not want to take any formal training in acting, it was a conscious decision. I wanted to learn as much as I could but I did not want to get used to a rigid format or technique of acting. I wanted to be able to observe people, things freely and have a clean state. I felt it was important to stay raw and to my good fortune Majidi sir wanted someone who was untrained,” he told PTI in an interview.

Ishaan had featured as a child actor in the 2005 film Vaah! Life Ho Toh Aisi!. After Beyond the Clouds (releasing on April 20) will come Dhadak where he is paired opposite Janhvi Kapoor.

While he was growing up, Ishaan said he keenly observed both his mother Neelima Azim and his brother’s work and it is their passion and work ethics that inspire him. “...My brother has been working tirelessly all these years and it is only because of his passion for acting. The most invaluable advice he has given me is to be honest to my work.” Is he mentally prepared to be known as Shahid’s brother? “It is not something to be prepared for. That is my truth,” he said, adding that although he was offered films before Beyond the Clouds, he did not take them up as he realised the offers were because of his mother and brother.

Casting director Honey Trehan asked Ishaan to audition for Majidi’s film, and he was surprised to know that the Iranian director watched the entire tape. “I have been told this is unusual as for Children of Heaven he had auditioned 8,000 kids. It is unusual as he selected somebody so soon and instinctively. It made me feel very grateful. I feel blessed to be his hero.”