Indians carrying a rucksack, Indians in a corner shop, Indians driving a taxi, it’s a sterotype that is ’stifling’ British Asian actors says Shiv Jhala.

The 27-year-old from Edmonton is determined to reshape the face of cinema in the UK by becoming the new Sylvester Stallone.

“I idolise him,“ Shiv says of the Rocky star who famously wrote and starred in the franchise and battled against Hollywood’s desire to cast Robert Redford as the boxing hero.

“He was unusual in terms of how he looked and realised he was getting cast in things that weren’t right for him, so he wrote Rocky, which is all about standing up for your beliefs.

“My vision is also that I’m not going to conform and I want to change the game.“ Having just made a “step in the right direction“ starring in thriller Arjun and Alison, which tackles racism on a university campus, Shiv is now working on his own comedy film script and hopes to land a big name to star in it with him.

“As British Asians we are stifled and have to do whatever has been written for us so we have to start writing and being creative ourselves,“ says Shiv.

“I want to reshape the way Indian characters in Western productions are given credit. I know that seems ambitious.“

The former pupil of Hazelbury School grew up in the area dreaming of being on the big screen and says: “As long as I can remember I used to watch movies and get really taken in by them and could imagine myself doing what the actor was doing.

“Initially, my family were worried, because it was a career which isn’t that easy, but my parents could tell I was dedicated to it and have supported me wholeheartedly and that’s what has allowed me to follow my dream.“

After completing his education at Broomfield School, Shiv left for Mumbai to gain formal training in acting at Whistling Woods International and at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles.

Three-years later he returned to Edmonton and began doing the rounds of auditions.

He says: “When I came back to London I realised Indian people in the West are not given their dues in terms of roles.

“I didn’t want to do the stereotypical things like a corner shop owner with an Indian accent or an Indian guy with a rucksack that most Indian characters tend to have on British television or and in western films. I don’t believe that’s right.“

Having moved back in with his parents, Shiv works part-time for UCL as a teaching administrator to ’keep things afloat’ and landed his starring role in Sid Sharma’s directorial début Arjun and Alison in 2012.

It has just been showing at cinemas across London and will soon be available to stream online.

Shiv says: “I like Arjun and Alison because it didn’t have that limitation. It’s about segregation and racism and discrimination and how we should respect everyone’s beliefs.“ He adds: “I feel really strongly that I don’t want to just take anything.

“It’s hard, it really is, especially when you walk away from things, but I refuse to play the Indian who only has one scene in the film or who is running away from his parents who want him to marry someone else.

“I have been for a lot of auditions where it is a Bollywood film, but they are only filming here for tax reasons and don’t have any vision.“ Shiv says: “I have a vision in my head and want to pave the way for Indians to be able to work constructively in the business.“