He managed to leave his mark while sharing screen space with Kangana Ranaut and R. Madhavan in "Tanu Weds Manu Returns". But actor Deepak Dobriyal credits Salman Khan and Madhavan for carving a path for character actors in the Hindi film industry.

`There are two people - Madhavan and Salman Khan - who give space to their co-stars. It is because of them that the trend of increasing the length of role of actors, who are doing well in their films is finding inroads in Bollywood. They always emphasise on giving more scenes to good actors,` Deepak told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

The 39-year-old leaped into spotlight with the Aanand L. Rai's directorial with his witty one-liners with a straight face. Deepak's character named Pappi Singh, who played role of Madhavan's close friend, got appreciation from all quarters turning it into a fad.

The actor, who has also featured in movies like "Omkara" and "Dabangg 2", noted that Madhavan boosted his spirits on the sets of the film, which transpired through the camera.


`I would say Madhavan's involvement had a big role in how the character of Pappi Singh shaped up in the film. He used to clap and appreciate my performance in front of everyone. That filled me up with energy,` he said.

While Deepak is still coming to terms with the craze around Pappi Singh, he is all charged up with more rib tickling acts for his next film "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo", which also stars Salman and Sonam Kapoor.

The actor insists that his role in the Sooraj Barjatya's film involves a comic angle, but is different from "Tanu Weds Manu Returns".

`It's a funny character and is different from what I did in my previous film,` said the actor.