Lucknow is second home to Allahabad-born actor Pawan Shanker who used to frequent the state capital to participate in table tennis tournaments during his school days.

A known TV face now, he was here to promote his new show 'Vicky Ki Taxi' to be aired on Real Channel from March 2.

"I am playing Vicky, a taxi driver who is uneducated, speaks typical Mumbaiya Hindi but has a heart of Gold beneath his tough exterior," says Pawan, who shot to fame with the serial 'Siddhant' on Star One.

"The role is perhaps more powerful than 'Siddhanth', as Vicky reluctantly gets involved with his passenger's story and then brings a difference to their life in his inimitable style," says Pawan who has innumerable advertisements, television serials like 'Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasman', 'Aisa Des Hai Mera' and 'Kasamh Se' to his credit.

An MBA with finance major, Pawan feels it was tough playing a taxi driver.

"Learning is easy but here I had to unlearn and then pick up the typical Mumbaiya Hindi," says Pawan, who went to Mumbai in 2001 to chase his dream of becoming an actor against the wishes of his parents. After training with Kishore Namit Kapoor and Saroj Khan, he managed to clinch some modelling assignments, including a few with his idol Amitabh Bachchan.

"It was a dream come true to be with him in the Reid and Taylor advertisement and now he is also doing a cameo in my debut film 'Mr Bakshi on Chutti' which also has Bhairavi Goswami and Anupam Kher," he reveals.