Prateik has been sweating it out in the gym for his latest film " Issaq", where he plays a character inspired by Romeo in a story set in UP.No surprise then, that he is focusing a lot on his physique. He tells us, "Building a body like this is a passion for me. I like staying fit and it needs you to be more regular. I spend about two hours every time when I'm in the gym."

He might be playing the lover boy in the film, which is currently being shot in Varanasi, but in real life, Prateik confesses to being a shy person. "I'm a very laidback sort of guy, but people assume I am a serious actor and a serious person. That is not true. But it's true that I become shy and awkward in public, though I do enjoy the attention. But I'm trying to work towards changing that (the shyness)." The actor has been linked to pretty women pretty often, but that's a topic that Prateik handles nonchalantly. "I wish they (the linkups) were true. I have been linked with some really gorgeous women!"

Despite being a star kid, the 24-year-old says his entry into Bollywood was never easy. "No one needs to treat you like a star kid in the industry, but you do get pointed at... people assume you get everything on a silver platter, but that's not true. It doesn't come on a platter. Whoever you are, you have to prove your worth," he says. And that's what he says he's trying to do - by picking up different roles; as different as an "Aarakshan" was from a "My Friend Pinto". He says, "It's tough, but it is my job. I give myself a chance to try every possible genre, and that's important for me at this stage. I think it's important to plan things and then work towards those. In the future, I hope I become a more mature actor."