Mohit is the new angry young man

Donning the garb of a police officer, with his fist aimed at the bad man's jaw, a determined Mohit Ahlawat, aka Shiva 2006 is definitely all set to win hearts. Young girls swoon over this six-foot-tall hottie, who made his foray into Bollywood with James, produced by Ram Gopal Varma, which flopped at the box office The first thing that strikes you about him is his soft, but deep voice, his recently pierced eyebrow and his lean, yet muscular build. Mohit, who was in the city on Sunday to promote his new film, admits that Shiva wasn't something he expected RGV to offer him. "It was a big surprise and Ramuji told me that he visualised me in the role when he thought of it," he informs.

Mohit a great believer in Lord Shiva, thinks it's a great coincidence that his film has the same title. He also has the Gayatri and Shiva mantras tattooed on his back, which he says work as a protective shield. Talking about the film, he says that Shiva 2006 is a dual fight, "with the self and the system," as he puts it. "The earlier Shiva was made 16 years back and revolved more around the college campus and political fights. Shiva 2006 is a cop's fight with the system and with himself. I could relate to the role because I had fought with myself to fulfil my dreams," says Mohit, who's now being portrayed as the new 'angry young man'. Is he trying to follow the original angry young man, Amitabh Bachchan's footsteps?

Mohit, a diehard fan of Big B, laughs and says, "Who wouldn't want to follow him? He is an icon. But the fact that I am being compared to a living legend like him, adds to the pressure." Considering that the earlier Shiva was a phenomenal success, Mohit believes there are too many expectations from the film. "It gets a bit scary at times, because you have so many people to answer to," he adds. Mohit has certainly come a long way for the son of an industrialist, who decided to become an actor at the age of 18.

This Scorpio was lured by the glamour of the film world, without realising it. "I was supposed to fly to Dubai for business and had a two-day halt at Mumbai. While there, I happened to party with the filmi crowd due to common friends. Such was the glamour of the film world that I was totally smitten. I decided I will become an actor and start my career with a Ram Gopal Varma production," he recalls. And he did manage to impress RGV. "It took me three long years just to reach him. James was a good start, though Ramuji wasn't directing the film. It was a good learning experience because I didn't know what the next scene would be. This made it more challenging," says Mohit.

Though the film didn't do well, his work was appreciated by the industry and several roles, including Iqbal were offered to him. But Mohit refused them all because he was working on Shiva. So what's next? He says he is in no hurry to start another project, until he is able to "impress Ramuji by making this film a success." He's also looking forward to spending quality time with his daughter Anvie and his wife. Shiva 2006 is a cop's fight with the system and with himself. I could relate to the role because I had fought with myself to fulfil my dreams.