It is difficult to smile in front of the camera: Mahesh Bhatt on acting in The Dark Side of Life: Mumbai City

Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who has directed many critically acclaimed film like Saaransh (1984), Naam (1986) and Zakhm (1998) is now starting his new innings as an actor with The Dark Side of Life: Mumbai City.

Bhatt launched trailer of the film on Monday with his co-actors Nikhil Ratnaparakhi, Allisha Khan, director Tariq Khan and producer Rajesh Pardasani in Mumbai.

Sharing his experience about acting in the film, Bhatt said: "Acting is a difficult task. In acting, you have to remember lines and you have to be on your toes. I think it is easy to tell how to act from behind the camera but it is difficult to smile in front of camera.

"It is a different medium and I will never consider myself as an actor and if audience like my performance in the film then, all credit of that goes to Tariq Khan," the legendary director said.

Trailer of The Dark Side of Life: Mumbai City shares similarity with Bhatt's own production Life in a Metro which depicts struggle of human life in Mumbai city. Asked about the similarities of the two films, Bhatt said: "I think every human being has gone through a struggle in their life and Anurag Basu's Life in a Metro looks closer to this film but this film has a different kind of narrative.

"In this film, ensemble star cast of the film is being connected by one theme but film's director has his own point of view and what makes Tariq the unusual filmmaker is that he has his own individuality and style while making a film," he said.

The film is slated to be released on 5 October.