Mumbai: Aparshakti Khurrana says he learnt to be honest as a person and an artiste from his "Dangal" co- star Aamir Khan.   The actor played a prominent role as Omkar, the cousin of Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari in the Nitesh Tiwari-directed film.   Aparshakti says his takeaway from working on the hit 2016 film was that a jealous artiste stops growing over time.   

"Nitesh Tiwari and Aamir Khan are very honest people. What I have learnt from them is that you don't have to be a great artiste; you have to be a good human being to better your craft. If you are jealous and have a negative approach, you won't grow.   "Honesty brings a lot of positivity, hence it helps you to enhance your performance. What I have taken away from 'Dangal' is honesty," he tells PTI.   

Aparshakti says his life has changed drastically after playing Omkar in the movie but it is still a long way to go.   "Earlier, I would wait for calls from production houses or stand in long queues to give an audition that I don't need to do today. "I won't say that I have arrived just yet as there is more to achieve and I wish to do justice to my anchoring projects as well as future roles."   

He started his career working as an RJ and then switched to TV as an anchor and made his film debut with "Dangal", which will air on &Pictures channel tomorrow.   The anchor-turned-actor says he is in touch with the "Dangal" team, including Aamir and praises the superstar for his simplicity.   "What I like the most about Aamir is his simplicity. Even after spending over 30 years in the film industry, he still behaves like a commoner. Many celebrities are arrogant and that's evident with the way they carry themselves."   

Aparshakti is Ayushmann Khurrana's brother and he says the "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan" actor never helped him career wise.   "My brother's approach towards life has been practical, simple and wise. After shooting to fame with "Vicky Donor", he never offered to help me with my launch. Instead, he asked me to prepare myself by being active – playing sports, singing jingles and performing in theatre. He always said, 'prepare yourself, Mumbai will automatically invite you'.   

"It has taken seven years to reach where I am today. It's a natural thing that people will judge siblings and members from the same family," he adds. PTI