Thankfully, audiences have become much more receptive to you being seen in a different avatar,' the actor said.

After the success of Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Kaminey', Shahid finds himself in the big league of actors, but he has his head firmly on his shoulders.

'I am happy that 'Kaminey' worked for me and I am also aware about the fact that post the success of the film, there are also lot of expectations from me. Still, it's early days for me to begin celebrations.

'There are many more movies that I have to do over a period of time. I have to continuously prove myself. In a couple of weeks from now, I have 'Dil Bole Hadippa' coming out; so I'm keeping my fingers crossed,' he said.

While the Khans - Shah Rukh, Aamir, Salman - have been dominating from the top along with Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan, the success of 'Kaminey' means that both Shahid and Saif Ali Khan, who delivered a money spinner in 'Love Aaj Kal', have also made their mark.

Shahid may not be inside the ring yet but he is knocking the doors at the least.

'Everyone seems to be saying that, but I keep reminding myself that it has only been six years for me in the industry. Of course, I'm extremely happy to be even considered a good enough candidate. For someone who is just 28 years old, I feel very privileged and fortunate to see such confidence from my audiences as well as the industry,' he said.

(Joginder Tuteja can be contacted at joginder_tuteja@rediffmail.com)