Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 30, 2018)

"Every actor has an image about how he wants to kickstart his journey in films and Beyond The Clouds is as close as it can get for me,” says Ishaan Khatter, fully aware of his privileged position. After all, not many get the opportunity to make their acting debut with a Majid Majidi film.

The youngster says that collaborating with the Iranian auteur, at the onset of his career, has honed his acting skills. “As an actor, it is important to begin your career with someone who will set the foundation for you and your craft. Simply observing Majidi sir was a big learning experience.”

As he gears up for the release of Beyond The Clouds, Khatter already has a Karan Johar production, Dhadak, in his kitty. He reveals that Johar was gracious enough to let him make his acting debut with the Majidi film. “When I was approached by Majidi sir, I was already in talks with Johar sir for Dhadak. I told him that I wanted to do this film. He was gracious to allow me to do this first and follow it up with his production.”

Khatter realises that expectations from him are skyhigh, given that he follows in the footsteps of his superstar brother Shahid Kapoor. “Shahid has advised me to follow my heart. He is a teacher to me; almost like a paternal figure in my life.”

Point out how comparisons with his brother will be inevitable and he dismisses it saying, “There never will be any competition between Shahid and me. We are a team.”