‘Bollywood is the best place to be’

Sunil Shetty was a proud father at the “first look” launch of his daughter Athiya’s debut film Hero. “Athiya has a lot of confidence and knows her way out,” he says, adding, “She is passionate about her filmy career and she is very hard working.” “I had no problems with Athiya being in Bollywood. When my friends would ask whether I was comfortable with her joining films, I would say, I have grown up in this industry, it’s the best place to be.”

Sunil is especially happy that Athiya is debuting under Salman Khan’s banner, SKL Films. “My association with Salman goes back a long way. Salman was the only one who had attended my wedding. We are an emotional generation, we hold on to our relationships. With director Nikhil Advani and Salman around my daughter, it’s a blessing.” “Athiya is a trained actor and she is definitely better than me. I came up doing stunts. She is much more focused and also knows exactly what she wants.

“She has declined many offers and has told me clearly that one or two movies a year is more than enough for her.” “I have advised Athiya to be humble and respect everyone. ‘But yes, if someone shows attitude then you should act according to your gut feelings. But your conduct has to be in place’,” he adds.