Gul Panag is one actress willing to swim against the tide of rivalry in Bollywood and praise another actress, Perizaad Zorabian, who had helped shape her career.

Critically acclaimed Gul says she is thankful to the "Mumbai Matinee" and "Joggers' Park" star Perizaad for giving her director Nagesh Kukunoor's number, which helped her land a role in the hugely appreciated film "Dor" that catapulted her to stardom.

"I'm really thankful to Perizaad for giving me Nagesh's number. I always wanted to work with him after I saw 'Rockford'. He is a man with great cinematic sensibilities and I think I was very lucky that he chose me. 'Dor' changed everything for me," Gul told.

"But getting selected for the role was not easy. I had to chase Nagesh for around seven months and then he called me for an audition. I took it and after that what happened was like a dream come true."

"Dor" narrates the story of two women, Meera (Ayesha) and Zeenat (Gul), trapped in an intense emotional plot.

Zeenat's husband accidentally kills Meera's husband in Saudi Arabia and Zeenat traces and befriends the Rajasthan girl to convince her to sign a letter pardoning her husband to secure his release from that country.