Actress Bhumi Pednekar, who is all set to share screen space with Akshay Kumar once again after 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha' in the upcoming film 'Raksha Bandhan', says her friendship with the National Award-winning star has become thicker and that he has been a huge part of her career.

In a chat with IANS, Bhumi talked about how her bond with Akshay has evolved since 2017.

She said: "I think my friendship has only become thicker with him. He is someone I hold in a very high regard. He's been a huge part of my career and we've done some very successful things together. He is somebody who I learnt a lot from and only have love and respect for him."

Bhumi remained tight-lipped about 'Raksha Bandhan', which is directed by Aanand L. Rai.

"I unfortunately can't (say). As a principle, I don't talk about any of my films till the makers do but all I can say is it's been a very heart-warming process for me to work with two people I love so much," she said.

The 32-year-old, who is also an environmentalist, heaped praises on the director.

"Anand Sir is one of the nicest and kindest directors. It's genuinely an experience to be directed by him," she concluded.