‘Ajay sir boosted my confidence’

Shazahn Padamsee on romancing 41-year-old veteran actor Ajay Devgn in her latest flick, Madhur Bhandarkar's Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji

Actor Shazahn Padamsee, who romances 41-year-old veteran actor Ajay Devgn in Madhur Bhandarkar's

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Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji

, was very apprehensive in the beginning. But her “zero confidence level” shot up when he praised her acting skills.

“When I met Ajay sir for the first time I was praying that things go smoothly. I realised how junior I was in the industry,” Padamsee says, adding, “When at the end of the shoot he came and patted me on the back and said ‘Well done,’ my confidence went from like zero to 100.”

Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji

will release on January 28 and is Padamsee’s first main lead role. The actor says it was “inspiring” to be around Devgn. “I remember watching

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam

and

Raajneeti

and admiring his performance in both the movies. Ajay sir chooses his films so carefully. They are very different, because of which he is one of those few actors who are not typecast,” she says.

Daughter of noted theatre artiste Alyquee Padamsee and singer Sharon Prabhakar, she loved being in Ajay’s company not just because she got to learn a lot from him but also due to his sense of humour.

“People think Ajay sir is a serious type of person, but he is very witty. Many people know that my dad has a very good sense of humour, very tongue-in-cheek, very sarcastic. Ajay sir has a similar wit,” she says.