New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS): Arbaaz Khan says he has had a chequered career as an actor and he is using his first production venture "Dabangg" more to prove his own credibility than for his brother Salman Khan who plays the lead.

"I wanted to do something for myself, something out of the box. I knew I had to maxmise it (the opportunity) for myself more than my brother Salman. It is my first step into production; so it became a conscious decision to follow the right path," Arbaaz, 43, told IANS.

"Turning producer was not on the cards till director Abhinav Kashyap approached me. However, I took the movie in an attempt to prove it to myself and earn credibility for myself."

As an actor Arbaaz tried his luck in movies like "Garv: Pride and Honour"(2004), "Dus Kahaniyaan"(2007), "Shootout at Lokhandwala"(2007), "Fashion" (2008), but couldn't make it big. Of late he has not been seen on the silver screen.

Asked why he is not seen in films or on television, he said: "I have come to a stage where it is important for me to do quality work. I did my debut in 1996 with 'Darar'. Since then till 2010, I have had a chequered career. Some good films, some not so good, and now I have come to a stage where if something really exciting comes my way like 'Fashion', I would love to do it."

Now as a producer he plans to make films for the masses.

"I would predominantly like to make films that have huge mass appeal. I don't necessarily want to make niche films. I like films that work on a larger scale and they come in every genre," he said.

His first production venture "Dabangg" is set in a small town in Uttar Pradesh.

Arbaaz is launching actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha's daughter Sonakshi with the film and he seems to be quite impressed with the newcomer.

"Making the choice for the lead actress was the toughest. We were battling to come to a decision whether to look for a new face or an established one. But for a fresh face we had faith in Sonakshi Sinha.

"She is very professional, mature and a good dancer. She is the future, I must say this. There lies a lot of talent to be explored in her," he said.