Athiya, 22, is the daughter of Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, and she will make her dream debut with superstar Salman Khan's production "Hero" alongside another newcomer Sooraj Pancholi.
"My hearty lies with acting. I am very passionate about it. I enjoy being on sets. So, films are something that I am going to continue to do. Hopefully, fingers crossed, I am going to stay in the film industry for a very long time," Athiya said.
Sooraj, son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, took to the platform to thank Salman for giving him the chance of a lifetime with "Hero".
"I don't think I have words to express how I feel about Salman sir. He has given us the biggest platform and a dream break that any debutante can ask for. We are here because of him," the 25-year-old actor said.
The film will hit theatres on September 11.