There has been a lot of curiosity around Palak Tiwari, actress Shweta Tiwari’s daughter, who has chosen to take a slightly different route for her Bollywood launch. The 22-year-old is making her debut soon with the ensemble film — Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (headlined by Salman Khan) and will follow it up with The Virgin Tree (starring Sanjay Dutt). She agrees that it’s not a leading part, but when you get to share screen space with massive stars like Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt at the start of your career, it’s a rare opportunity you can’t turn down.

Ask her if she ever feared getting lost amidst other established names in the ensemble pro-jects, and she says, “I think the whole purpose of an ensemble, when done and executed correctly, is that nobody gets lost. I feel both films and their stories are being executed with that belief,” she replies, adding, “With the kind of people I am working with, my aim is not to compete for screen space, but to learn and absorb. I have just been a sponge on the set. The one thing that you can learn from Salman sir and Sanjay sir is that when somebody has to shine, they can do it even when there are thousands of people on screen.”

Palak says, “Salman sir told me I don’t need to worry about the number of people on screen, but how I do my job because that is what will make a difference to a scene.”

The budding actress goes on to add that she feels extreme gratitude for having got this chance to learn from Salman and Sanjay. “I feel an overwhelming amount of gratitude for being able to work with such bonafide superstars at such an early stage. They have so much in common – it’s not just about themselves; they give so much to a scene. They go out of their way to make everybody comfortable. They also stand behind the camera to give the cue to other actors. If there is anything that I have learnt from them, apart from their passion for the craft, it’s how they are so kind towards everybody on the set.”

Palak, who came into the spotlight with the video of the single Bijlee Bijlee, where she featured with Harrdy Sandhu, says she’s in no hurry to take up quintessential films or a solo-heroine project. She elaborates, “I have my whole career ahead of me to do that – be it a solo-heroine project or a romantic film. These are opportunities that will come my way all the time. However, I won’t get a chance to work with Salman sir or Sanjay sir every time. So, I dropped everything and grabbed the chance.”

Instead of worrying about the competition she will face from her contemporaries making their debut or waiting in the wings for their launch, the debutante believes this is a great time in cinema for new talent to thrive.

She says, “I don’t think of them as adversaries or contemporaries. Call me delusional, but I think this is such a beautiful time in the industry when the careers of so many people are prospering, and so many dreams are coming true. It’s like a cycle, and we are truly in such a beautiful place in this cycle as the whole industry resets with the new generation of newcomers. I feel thrilled to be a part of this boom of newcomers in the industry. There is no competition from my end whatsoever.”

What about matters of the heart? Palak has often been spotted hanging out with Saif Ali Khan’s son, Ibrahim, sparking linkup rumours. So, are the two seeing each other? “Shooting for two films has kept me very busy and content in life. It’s my sole focus, and it is an important year for me,” she says, dismissing the rumours.

“I don’t pay heed to these rumours as it is a part of the profession that I am in. I’d rather focus on my work. While love can never be calculated or predicted, at this stage, work is in first gear for me. Professionally, it’s a crucial time, so I am focusing my energies on that,” she shares.