Filmmaker Karan Johar, known for his glamorous movies, sharp one-liners and sense of humour, is seen in a new avatar in a poster of his acting project "Bombay Velvet". His villainous look with a shrewd smile and a moustache has got a thumbs up from his friends and colleagues from tinsel town.

In the Anurag Kashyap directorial, Karan plays Kaizad Khambatta, an arch rival of street fighter Johnny Balraj, played by Ranbir Kapoor.

Actor Sidharth Malhotra, who essayed the role of a lover out for vengeance in an aptly named film "Ek Villain", praised KJo, director of his debut film "Student Of The Year".

"@karanjohar :villain in @anuragkashyap72 's #BombayVelvet..Kaizad Khambatta!" Eh new villain! Looking intense and mean," Sidharth wrote.

Actor Varun Dhawan, who is gearing up for his intense and dark revenge drama "Badlapur", was also floored by the intensity in Karan's eyes.

"@karanjohar @anuragkashyap72 here comes the ACTOR. Can't wait for bombay velvet. kaizad khambatta. Look at those eyes," Varun tweeted.

Actress Alia Bhatt, who too debuted with "Student Of The Year", also supported the filmmaker on the social medium.

"@karanjohar: The villain in @anuragkashyap72 's #BombayVelvet... Kaizad Khambatta essayed by yours truly!!! Woohooooo," she tweeted.


Overwhelmed by the response generated by the poster, Karan thanked everyone for appreciating his look.

"Thank you very much for the amazing feedback on my first look in #BombayVelvet...all credit to Niharika and Anurag," he wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, actress Preity Zinta said KJo's portrayal of a manipulative person in the film will be bang on.

"@karanjohar @anuragkashyap72 KJO! Cannot wait to see U in Bombay Velvet . Have a feeling you are going to kill it in the movie ;-))) ting," Preity said.

"Bombay Velvet" is jointly produced by Phantom Films and Fox Star India, and is set for release May 15. The film is set in the 1960s and is a large screen adaptation of Gyan Prakash's "Mumbai Fables".