Emraan Hashmi: Beyond the 'Serial Kisser' Tag

Even in the midst of commercial, mass-market Bollywood, where he has acted in everything from horror-erotica to masala flicks with an 80s vibe, Emraan Hashmi has always given off the vibe of being extremely different from what the majority of his characters represent.

Emraan, 44, made his Bollywood debut in 2003's Footpath. The following year, he made waves with his playful antics with Mallika Sherawat on a parapet and more in the Anurag Basu-helmed hit Murder, which is a desi version of the Hollywood movie Unfaithful.

Emraan gained the nickname "Serial Kisser" for his "bheegey honth" in the movie, a moniker he would later solidify in sultry flicks like Gangster, Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Zeher, Murder 2, Raaz 2, and so forth. These were mostly box office successes.

However, Emraan's acting talent was evident even in these movies, as shown by the swift recognition of Milan Luthria, who handed him Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, and Dibakar Banerjee, who cast him against type in Shanghai. Since then, Emraan has never failed to deliver, and even if he hasn't had a big hit in a while, he still manages to get valuable jobs.

Additionally, the actor has defied several stereotypes and trends. Despite working on several projects with Vishesh projects and being related to the Bhatt family (Alia Bhatt is his cousin), Emraan has seldom ever been accused of nepotism. In this interview, he acknowledges that he has "enjoyed" being called a "serial kisser" in the past, but he has also successfully abandoned that label now.

Emraan joined the Yash Raj Films fold last year, playing the antagonist in Tiger 3. Now, the actor is part of a great ensemble cast in Showtime, a web series from Karan Johar's Dharmatic label that examines Bollywood happenings from an insider's viewpoint. On March 8, Disney+Hotstar will broadcast it.

Emraan recently had a free-flowing conversation with t2oS on the sidelines of the Showtime launch at Taj Lands End in Mumbai. They discussed his path so far, his reasons for not believing in conforming, and what keeps him real.

In Showtime, you portray a producer who isn't happy. The majority of your colleagues are now producers. You did, too, but it didn't provide much results. What went incorrectly?

Not that I was a particularly involved producer. I gave most of the work to others. I received producer credit even though I didn't do anything (laughs).

It is a difficult job, correct?

It's a very difficult job. At the production firm I began with, Vishesh Films, there was a running joke. "Never sit on this chair, this is like an electric chair," would be my uncle Mukesh Bhatt's advice to me when he was in charge of it. Making movies involves more than simply drafting a story and heading to the set. On a movie set, catastrophe management occurs every day due to the fact that you have to deal with a lot of people, egos, and the unpredictable nature of the industry. Every day, something new is put in your path.

At the drop of a hat, your Showtime character Raghu flips. One has seldom ever seen you lose your cool or get impatient outside of your movies. Did you feel out of place playing him?

Raghu has high goals. In an industry that throws curveballs from time to time, I am ambitious in a field that I have learned about over the years and perhaps still don't fully comprehend. I share Raghu's enthusiasm for movies and his affinity for a certain kind of filmmaking, which I have participated in for the most of my professional life. which are big-budget movies. A typical mass-market film producer is Raghu. He enjoys seeing his movies on the 70mm screen when the viewers react with taalis and ceetees. He like the festive atmosphere, fanfares, and all of stuff.

This program makes the claim to expose the dark side of the movie business. Famously, your producer Karan Johar said he would disappear the day Showtime debuted. Although you are generally carefree about these matters, did any part of what will be portrayed in this series disturb you?

It was important to recognize that one was acting as an insider in the business. Since it is anecdotal in nature, assumptions may be formed. It is a work of fiction. However, actual life is also a source for any work of fiction. That is what gives it weight and provides the viewer with a level of realism.

On set, there were discussions over a character's role when it appeared familiar (laughs). I am aware that the show's characters are drawn from a variety of backgrounds inside the business. But these jokes were constantly being spoken. Things like, "Why don't you begin walking in this manner?"(Laughs)

However, we are not making fun of anybody. We don’t hold any one individual accountable. Since we are familiar with the ins and outs of the business, I think it is ideal if a program like this is produced by an insider. It is impossible for outsiders to know what type of discussions take place behind closed doors or about the barriers and hierarchical structure. Therefore, it is ideal if it originates from individuals who have a broad perspective on the sector and how the nepotism debate operates.

Could anybody have imagined that Karan Johar would create a program on nepotism? Did you not see that coming?

To be honest, I wasn't informed about this program just from this angle. When you notice a promotion, you may pick up one or two items and probably take it home. or maybe many things; I'm not sure. It is dependent upon the viewer's point of view. For me, it was the chance to portray this amazing character in a world that I have seen firsthand—one that I have lived in, cherished, struggled with sometimes, seen its fair share of highs and lows, and encountered its fair number of heroes and villains.

Playing the insider was a tremendous chance for me because I felt like I could at least include my body of work and sometimes, purposefully, bring in my former experiences.

You mentioned having ambition. Would you think that your goals vary somewhat from what is often expected of them in Bollywood cinema? We don't see you putting out PR-driven articles, securing gigs, or showing up at the appropriate locations.

I haven't done too terrible, even if I haven't done all that. (Smiles) Twenty years have passed. Would it be preferable if I were someone else? I'm not sure. I am a part of this. This characterizes me. There is a particular kind of me. I don't follow rules all the time. I don't conform to the conventional notion of a typical Bollywood performer.

My path has been very different. I have resisted several of the tactics used by the business. I don't have a big PR strategy that calls for constant media attention, even while I'm not working on any movies.

I mostly let my work speak for itself. When someone feels they would want to know more about me, I may be excruciatingly silent at times. However, I will only provide information to others to the extent that I want them to know about me.

The members of my family are very private individuals. And only for work-related purposes, I like being in public. Indeed, one might argue that I am a bit of a freak in this field. I'm not sure whether anybody else is exactly like me.

I have always been like this. To tell the truth, I attempted to eat into some of the perks that the sector provided early on in the day. And I soon came to the conclusion that it was not my personality and that it was not designed for me.

At that point, I made the decision to dedicate my all to my projects and do my utmost for their exposure, but I would no longer be accessible for ongoing validation outside of my films. That's what some performers want. To each their own, however.

Everyone in the entertainment industry is insecure, or at least has been at some time due to the brittle and unpredictable nature of the industry. Do you feel that you have overcome all of these fears?

You will never be able to get over your fundamental uneasiness about what will occur on Friday. or when you are working on a project for which you are unsure about the outcome. or whether the audience will accept you, as one can never tell what they will find acceptable.

As a creative person and professional, all you can do is share a little bit of yourself and use your own judgment when it comes to the content you release. You become uneasy when you acknowledge that you have no control over it. You have to realize that everyone has a different perspective after it is in the public domain and seen by a million people.

Every performer, in my opinion, struggles with insecurity. There are, of course, different levels of insecurity. I have had the pleasure of working with some really insecure performers who are insecure in every way (laughs). I have also collaborated with performers that exude confidence.

Most of the time, I feel safe. I'm insecure about everything about unpredictability. However, the business's beauty lies in that as well. I am drawn to the company because of it. This explains the intriguing and secretive nature of our profession. You are not quite certain of what will transpire. That has a certain charm to it.

You were Bollywood's in-house "Serial Kisser" for a long time. You have worn that label with ease, and even when you were doing those kinds of roles, movies like Shanghai and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai helped you establish your reputation as a serious actor. How did you come up with that harmony?

Since I was benefiting from the "Serial Kisser" nickname, I really appreciated it (smiles). I was following the crowd, too impetuous, too youthful, and too bold. The issue arose when I began to feel as if I was finished with this. I was at my breaking point and felt like I was sleepwalking through my scenes every day on set. Everything seemed like a modified version of what I had already done. I received the impression that my portrayal and classification were based on a private moment I had shared on film. I was aware that I was much more competent.

However, I was very appreciative that at that same moment, movies like Shanghai, Awarapan, and Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai helped me break out from that mold. Directors and producers have done it repeatedly. They have treated me fairly and provided me with wonderful chances.

To be honest, everyone has experienced stereotyping and being placed in a box at some time in their lives. A performer cannot wish it away. Humans tend to assign a certain label to things in order to make sense of them.

You are well-known for speaking simply, and you don't really feel bad about it. It makes you genuine, but hasn't being that way cost you anything, particularly in this industry?

With me, there's no pretense. I am not someone else. This personality is who I am. I've never been able to put on the mask of being someone I'm not on TV. Actors who walk about in masks all the time are generally people you will never get to know. As if they were portraying a role or an alter ego.

In a sense, I'm also jealous of it (laughs). Perhaps they find it appealing in some way or find it enjoyable. But I would never be able to accomplish it. Every time I go out there, I am always myself—my own self, flaws and everything... advantages, disadvantages, peculiarities, etc. I am unable to be dishonest. I'm not going to lie. That's not something I would normally do.

Has it put a strain on me? Not in my opinion. This hasn't, in my opinion, made the business any less unjust. Indeed, I've been rewarded by others for it. People that work with me may expect a smooth and effortless workflow. They appreciate my professionalism. I believe this is the reason I have been able to establish connections with people and stay here for 20 years.

Do you feel impacted by bad reviews for your movies?

There were always opinions... Social media has made them more prevalent in our lives. However, there are some who support a movie for every person who criticizes it. In this manner, social media requires a delicate balancing act.

Different individuals have different perspectives on movies. Nine times out of ten, if you put me in a theater to see a slapstick comedy, I will leave thinking negatively about the movie. I'm not into those kind of movies. I acknowledge that my film may not appeal to everyone. And that's got to be good with me. When you think that everyone should like your movie, you run into trouble. No performer or movie has universal appeal, and neither does it have universal praise.

Some of these self-described critics on social media are bothering me. Sometimes they post these bizarre-sounding films online only to get viewers to click on them. Things like, "This movie is over," or "The film has sunk." They make strange comments to draw in viewers. This is so because bad news tends to sell more than anything else. After they have tricked you, you discover that the review isn't all that bad—in fact, it may even be favorable. But each person has to manage their own store. It's now a business that everyone is in. And for that reason, I believe some credibility has been lost.

While there are still some sincere critics, the number of these self-styled ones has grown to an excessive amount. By whom do you read? It's a decision dilemma. When you have everything, you become inattentive to everything. You then rely only on recommendations from others. That is now the most crucial factor.

When you're not working, what do you like doing?

I like spending time with my family and reading. I like taking trips. My days are usually rather busy as I like being involved in the projects I want to work on in the future. I have been diligently incorporating a workout program into my lifestyle for the last two to three years. That consumes a significant amount of my time.

My existence will seem to be the most dull thing to others. Every day, I have the same meals. I carry out the same daily tasks. I read, write in my diary, go to a few meetings, and wake up. On a bad day, I watch a movie after that. We go on a lengthy vacation to the US or Canada during my son's school breaks.

That isn't something we accept! How does your airport look?

(Laughs) Every now and then when I unexpectedly find myself in the spotlight on another celebrity's trip, one gets to see me. I'm having trouble understanding this new society that has emerged.

The stars in the past remained magnetic because you couldn't see much of them. The only places to get tickets for them were theaters. It's not the same now. They are now observable everywhere.

It is impossible to avoid social media, however.

I just sometimes upload a photo. I attempt to publish on Fridays. It's similar to a movie premiere (laughs). Before, there would just be postings about work. I've been posting personal content gradually after hearing someone say, "Your fans would like to see a little more of you and your life."

However, I am a bit hesitant about that. I prefer not to say everything out loud. Certain performers provide content every single day from the moment the day begins. In terms of how I utilize it, I am pretty restrained.

Do you have a favorite recent movie memory?

I enjoyed working on Chehre (2021). One of the main reasons I did the picture was because I got to work with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan. I was curious about his behavior while working on stage. For many years, I have been a huge admirer of his. There were problems between our characters, and I felt terrible about having to say some hurtful things to him (smiles).

My mom used to work at Bandstand's Searock Hotel. One day, when I was two, Mr. Bachchan arrived and squeezed my cheeks. And I collaborated with him on a movie forty years later. It was a really strange encounter. For me, life completed a circle.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.