Actor Chunky Panday says his latest release, Vijay 69, gave him a chance to break his image as a comedic actor through an emotional role. The film, starring Anupam Kher in the title role, follows the journey of Vijay, a 69-year-old man, who defies societal expectations by training for a triathlon and refusing to let age limit his ambitions.

In the film, written and directed by Akshay Roy, Panday plays the role of Kher’s friend. “A slice-of-life, feel-good film is something that I’ve never done before, and this is the first time I got a chance to play a role like this. I was a little confused in the beginning. I did want to play it in my commercial way—over the top—but they both [Kher and Roy] hand-held me and told me to take it easy, and calm down,” the actor told PTI. Panday said he got stereotyped in light-hearted roles due to his past characters. “Some people also call me a comedian, and I love that.”