Older, Wiser, Riskier

Emraan Hashmi speaks about making bold choices, industry complacency, and the need to take risks in Hindi cinema

- By LIPIKA VARMA

At a time when many actors are slowing down, Emraan Hashmi is quietly entering what he calls the happiest phase of his career.

Nearly two decades after his debut in Footpath, the actor finds himself balancing scale with substance, commercial appeal with convictionled cinema. The coming months are packed: Awarapan 2 is set to go on floors in Bangkok, while Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web is lined up for Netflix, and Gunmaster G9 is also in the pipeline. He is also reportedly returning to mainstream commercial space with Goodachari 2.

His latest release, Hag, sees him in a role quite unexpected of Hashmi. He says that it is a part of his endeavour to choose cinema that is both truthful and mainstream. “We've lost touch with the art of making mass films in Hindi cinema,” he says. “The South still excels at that. With new commercial films, I am trying to reconnect with the audience.”