/> Om Puri who plays Sammir Dattani's mentor and guide in Mani Shankar's espionage thriller Mukhbiir is very impressed with the young actor.

"Most of my scenes in Mukhbiir were with Sammir. When we started working together I didn't even know who he was. He came across as very non-filmy, . Later I came to know he was from a business family with no Bollywood connections."

Om supports the film Mukhbiir is a wonderful film. I'm very surprised by Sammir's performance. I think he has the potential to become a big star.

I told him if he was part of a film family like Ranbir Kapoor he'd have been launched in style and become an overnight star. Though Ranbir's debut flopped he's being written about everywhere. And Abhishek had seventeen flops and he still got chance after chance."

Being an outsider Om totally empathizes with Sammir. "I at least got the support of offbeat filmmakers like Shyam Benegal and Govind Nihalani.

For a mainstream commercial actor today the competition is with the star-sons who are launched in big lavish films. Who will take the same risk with an actor who isn't connected to the industry?

Because Sammir is from outside the film industry he will have to work twice as hard to prove himself. Mukhbiir would do it for Sammir. It's a very unusual spy thriller. And Sammir's sensitive face leaves a lasting impact."

Om who has cut down on his assignments says Mukhbiir is the kind of cinema he would like to do. "It successfully bridges the gap between offbeat and mainstream cinema. As the chairperson of the NFDC this is the kind of cinema I'd like the NFDC to make."