Director Apoorva Lakhia will make his acting debut in Knockout, a thriller

Director Apoorva Lakhia will be making his acting debut with a cameo in Sohail Maklai's political thriller Knockout directed by Mani Shankar. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Irrfan Khan and Kangna Ranaut.

He's shy!

A source from the film says, "Apoorva is playing a cop in the film. It's a very powerful character. Apu has been feeling shy to admit that he's acting now. Initially, he was reluctant to face the camera but we pampered and convinced him. Apu came on to the sets in Pune, and we noticed he had lost lots of weight. We were looking around for a character to play the role of a cop and Mani said Apu would suit the character. He felt that since he is a new face, it would give freshness to the film."

To shoot soon

Apu didn't do a screen test but has done a costume trial. "He will shoot for Knockout from the first week of November. Apu has even asked for the dialogues of the film so he can rehearse them. Currently we are doing a high -voltage action sequence with Sanju and Irrfan in Pune. Once that gets done, Apu will begin shooting for the film."

Pullin' a fast one?

Apoorva Lakhia says, "It's rubbish! I am not acting in Knockout! They are all trying to pull a fast one on me but I'm not interested in acting. Dharam, Sohail and the rest are all trying to make a fool of me by spreading such rumours!"

Telling figures

Sanjay Dutt's business manager Dharam Oberoi, adds, "Apu's definitely acting in the film. In fact, he's getting paid 11 lakh for 11 days of work and has already got a signing amount of 2.51 lakh. He's playing a cop who dies in the end as he's shot at by Sanjay Dutt. Apu's theory is that 'if Farhan Akhtar can become an actor after starting off as a director, why can't I?' The producer Sohail Maklai has even given Apu a spot boy while on the sets."