Mumbai, March 11 : Suneel Darshan is working on his next, "Andaaz 2" which will feature debutant actor Aayush Kumar.

Talking about how he locked in on Aayush for the project, Suneel shared "I had scripted 'Andaaz 2' and also completed the songs-recording of the entire album with just the final stage of casting to execute(guess I have this tendency to seek artistes' confirmations last) when my casting director brought male artistes to approve for the protagonist's friend's roles & amongst them was this person who I felt could be my best choice not for the friend but in the leading man's role' his persona & look qualified for the lead character Aarav & I decided to go by my intuition and signed him up' the leading man Aarav Kumar was born at that moment & it took quite a while for the actuality to register in his mind. It was time to get the prep going & Aayush started working towards chiseling & toning up his body as well as fine-tuning his dance alongside the script reading."

"In 'Andaaz 2', Aayush portrays Aarav, a passionate musician navigating love, ambition, and personal struggles. The film promises a rich blend of romance, drama, and emotional depth'elements that have long been the hallmark of Suneel Darshan's films."

Aayush also recalled his first meeting with the veteran director to be nerve-wracking yet surreal. He shared, 'I walked in hoping for any significant role, never expecting to be considered for the lead. When Suneel Darshan handed me the contract, it took me days to process the fact that I was going to lead a film under his direction.'

Being a sequel to a blockbuster film, "Andaaz 2" carries the weight of audience expectations, but Aayush sees this as an opportunity rather than a burden. 'Comparisons are inevitable, especially with a film that established several superstars of the era. But my focus is to bring sincerity to my role and create my own space in the industry", he said.

/IANS