When actor Emraan Hashmi was asked to suggest a few titles for his debut book, he went into overdrive and prepared a long list. Don The Cape and Batman Defeated Cancer were a couple among his favourites. But the last on the list, The Kiss of Life, was picked by the publisher, Penguin Books.

“The kiss came to my rescue once again,” winks Hashmi, who earned himself the notorious reputation of being Bollywood’s serial-kisser. But his debut book, The Kiss of Life - How a Superhero and My Son Defeated Cancer, is a far cry from his screen life. It’s an emotional account of how he and his family coped with his six-year-old son, Ayaan’s battle with cancer two years back and how together they triumphed over the disease. “With this book I wanted to generate more awareness about cancer without making it sound preachy,” he says.

Hashmi is juggling the book promotion with promoting his next film, Azhar. But despite his punishing schedule in the capital to promote his book, Hashmi arrives at the appointed time for the interview. Hashmi, 37, looks relaxed and much younger than his years as he takes his place next to Bilal Siddiqi, 21, co-author of the book.

Hashmi says that his world came crashing down about him when, in 2014, his son, then three-and-half years old, was detected with second-stage Wilms’ tumour, a rare cancer of the kidneys that hits children.

In the book he talks like an indulgent dad about his son’s obsession with superheroes Batman and Iron Man which helped Hashmi and his family to keep Ayaan’s spirits high. For instance, Hashmi would often call Ayaan pretending to be Batman and talk to him. He reveals that the period (late 2014) when his son was treated for cancer in Canada was the “most difficult time” of his life.

It was Mumbai-based journalist and author S. Hussain Zaidi who suggested that Hashmi write a book when Ayaan was still being treated in 2014. Zaidi asked Hashmi to document everything that his son was going through so that his experience would give courage to others hit by the disease.

Siddiqi, who started meeting Hashmi in 2015, for the book, says that he had a different image of the actor before he met him. “I thought he was an actor who only did shady roles and I didn’t know what to expect from him in real life. But I found him to be down-to-earth and honest,” he says.

His son’s suffering has proved to be life-altering for Hashmi. Today, he has morphed into a health freak. “I read a lot about cancer and discovered that 85 per cent of cancers are related to our lifestyles,” he says.

“A new Emraan has emerged from the debris of the old,” says his maternal uncle and director Mahesh Bhatt.

And this could start with his next film, Azhar, that’s slated for release later this month. Based on the life of the former India cricket captain, Mohammad Azharuddin, the film’s director, Tony D’Souza, reckons that he couldn’t have found anyone better for the role. “Though talented and dedicated, he’s the most underrated actor,” D’Souza says.

To prepare for the role Hashmi spent a month in 2015 with Azharuddin, who taught him his style of walking, batting and other nuances.

“I would spend hours watching Azharuddin playing and realised that I had to loosen up a bit,” says Hashmi. The film covers it all — Azhar’s personal life, his alleged involvement in match-fixing and more. “It’s not a biopic but a commercial film. So there are songs and dances which I am sure Azhar never did in his life!” laughs Hashmi.

Another film waiting in the wings for a release is Raaz 4 directed by Vikram Bhatt.

For a person who wasn’t interested in acting, Hashmi has come a long way since Mahesh Bhatt offered him a role in Footpath in 2003. “I never intended to be an actor. I am an actor by accident,” he says. And so the first time that he faced the camera was scary, he says. “There were more than 40 retakes on my first day of shooting. I just couldn’t do it,” he recalls.

His second film, Murder, in 2004 was an erotic thriller by Anurag Basu and it became a huge commercial success. In this film, he had several steamy liplocks with Mallika Sherawat. He’s carried the ‘serial kisser’ tag ever since. He had a successful run after Murder and some of his films that did well include Gangster (2006), Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011).

“He’s an ordinary looker going by the standards set by the film industry. People were cynical about his looks and Emraan had a slow start in Bollywood. But he’s that slow tortoise that will ultimately win the race,” Bhatt says.

An avid watcher of crime shows on television, Hashmi loves Breaking Bad, a serial about a school teacher diagnosed with lung cancer who turns drug dealer. “The irony is that the source of my entertainment also has a cancer connection,” he smiles wryly.

The world, at the moment is Hashmi’s oyster: His son has overcome cancer, he has some exciting films coming up for release and he’s authored a book that’s flying off the shelves!