Meiyang Chang hopes to be like Danny Denzongpa

"My friends always said that if I worked hard then I too can become like Danny, "the 27-year-old singer-turned-actor told PTI.

Chang says Danny was much younger than him when he made his debut in Bollywood.

"He was always a friend or more of villain in films. But, the film industry is opening up to new ideas and welcoming new actors with unconventional looks which will help actors with certain limitations to overcome stereotyping, he said.

"I feel I have a chance," Chang said.

He said he plays the role of Zing, a boy from North-East in Badmaash Company.

"It was good that there was no other option for the producers. But director Parmeet wanted to check if I can act and hence I went through an audition," he
said.

The young singer-cum-actor describes his journey from Indian Idol to a Yash Raj Film as an upward curve. "It is a dream start. I had a misconception that I could not act because my face is such that whatever expression I give cannot be seen," he said.

Chang said only when he hosted Indian Idol-4, he came out of his inhibitions.

"I was very shy as a contestant and was not confident of myself," he recalls saying that staying away from parents since a young age in boarding school drew him into a shell."

He said Badmaash Company where he shares screen space with Shahid Kapur, Anushka Sharma and Vir Das, had no similarity with Dil Chahta Hai except being the story of four friends and their growth in life.

"The climax is entirely different. They want to have fun after college and have to earn money for it. All four are simple characters with whom you can relate," he said.

Chang admitted that he was disappointed that his singing career had not taken off as he would have wished.

"I think there is a backlog of good singers. People who have been struggling for last ten years are getting good opportunities now. So, those who came later will have to wait for their chance," he said.

But, Chang feels if he focuses on his acting career, opportunities in playback singing will follow automatically.

"Hopefully, my career will be on an upward curve," he said.