With Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, Abhimanyu Dassani may have chosen a debut vehicle that's far from mainstream, but the risk is paying off. Even as the Vasan Bala-directed venture is gearing up for release in India, the youngster — son to '90s star Bhagyashree — says the film's win at Toronto International Film Festival has opened doors for him. "After the win, I went to Los Angeles to discuss few scripts and audition for Hollywood projects. There have been offers from Chinese directors as well. But I am yet to zero in on my second film," says Dassani.

The comedy has him play a man who suffers from congenital insensitivity to pain and uses it to his advantage to hunt down criminals. He points out that the industry sat up and took notice of him after the film received an encouraging response at the different festivals it travelled to. "People who wouldn't message me back are now offering me work; they believe in me. The challenge is to choose the right film. But I know that screen time or labels — such as niche or massy films — don't matter to me. The only thing that counts is whether it's a good story."