MUMBAI MIRROR (July 27, 2017)

TV actress Mouni Roy, who is on the cusp of a Bollywood breakthrough as Akshay Kumar’s leading lady in Reema Kagti’s upcoming sports-drama, Gold, has bagged the place of pride as Salman Khan’s newest protégée.

The 51-year-old actor, who’s established his knack for spotting new talent — Daisy Shah made her acting debut in his 2014 film, Jai Ho, while he had previously taken thennewcomer and former girlfriend Katrina Kaif under his wings — is now being hailed as Mouni’s benefactor in Bollywood.

We hear the actress, who rose to fame as the protagonist in the hugely popular TV series, Naagin, caught Salman’s eye when she made a few appearances on Bigg Boss, the reality show he hosts, to promote her own show.

Struck by the 31-year-old actress’s enthusiasm, Salman felt that she deserved more work. So when Mouni met him at his Panvel farm house along with another television actor and told him how serious she was about her career, Salman immediately agreed to take up her cause.

A source informed Mirror, “Salman made Daisy Shah the lead actress in Jai Ho and has launched the singing career of Iulia Vantur. He has seen Mouni’s work and felt she deserved a big Bollywood break. It is he who spoke to someone from the unit of Gold and got her an audition. Of course, Mouni did well, subsequently bagging the part.”’

Gold, currently being shot in the UK, is based on the Indian hockey team’s historic win at the 1948 London Olympics where India won its first medal as a free nation. Besides Mouni and Akshay, the film also features Kunal Kapoor, Amit Sadh and Sunny Kaushal in pivotal roles.