It’s not easy to be pitted against Salman Khan in your second film. Add to that the fact that he has the task of striking a chord with the audience while playing a grey character. But Aayush Sharma is up for the challenge as he headlines Antim: The Final Truth, which sees him as a gangster whose criminal activities catch the attention of Khan’s honest cop. “When the role came my way, my initial thought was I hope people don’t categorise me as a villain. But, today, the audience has evolved. Back in the day, Sanjay [Dutt] played a grey character in Vaastav [1999] when protagonists were expected to be all-white. Yet, his honest performance made it one of his cult films. So, I felt this was an opportunity to present myself in a different light to the audience,” says Sharma.

For the actor, director Mahesh Manjrekar’s raw treatment of his character was a big draw. “I told the makers we shouldn’t try to justify my character’s [motivations]. Justifying his reasons or making him a martyr at the end would take away from the part’s honesty.”