Mumbai, Mar 15 (IANS): Actor Bobby Deol has no qualms in accepting that he has taken up ensemble cast films just to be noticed.

The actor says that he signed films such as "Housefull 4" and "Race 3" in recent times so that people come and watch the film and remember that he "exists", too.

"I have seen ups and downs in my career and there was a moment in my career I wasn't so marketable. When that happens you look for projects with lots of actors. So, then you get noticed. Like I did 'Race 3' and 'Housefull 4'. There was Salman Khan, the biggest superstar of our industry and Akshay (Kumar), and I knew that people would go and watch that film, and when they did they would realise Bobby Deol exists. So that makes a lot of difference," he told IANS.

The actor says that he is not adamant on playing only lead roles, but wants to take up roles that are integral to the script.

"It has been my conscious effort to do character-driven roles. I don't need to be the leading cast of a project. I need to play a character that stands out and that's how I am looking at working in the future. As an actor, it is more challenging to do characters out of my comfort zone," he says.

Talking about competition, the actor, who was appreciated for his OTT show "Aashram", says that you need to stand up for yourself to get noticed.

"Competition is always going to be there. If you don't speak for yourself, then people won't see you. As an actor, you have to do your best. Don't take yourself lightly. Work hard to get noticed," he says.