Mahesh Manjrekar had vowed to give up acting but his new best-friend Salman Khan keeps coaxing him back to the camera. For Salman's home production Dabanng, Manjrekar stepped into the role of debutante Sonakshi Sinha's father on Salman's say-so. That was meant to be Manjrekar's swan song as an actor.

But now he has again been persuaded to face the camera with Salman for Anees Bazmee's Ready. The funniest part of the director's enforced career as an actor is, he doesn't know what his role in Ready is.

Says Mahesh, "Salman said you have to do it. I know I decided I won't be acting anymore. But you can't say no to Salman. He said, 'You're in Ready and you're part of my family in the film. Beyond that, all I know is I play a positive role for a change."