Emraan Hashmi was sitting in a corner of a bare studio in Mumbai and digging into a bowl of cut fruits, his feet up on a chair in front of him, when t2 walked in. Wearing a plaid shirt over a wife beater (yes, the sleeveless ganji for us) and dark jeans, Emraan was sporting some serious facial hair.

“Movember?” we ask. “Naaah,” says Emraan, running his fingers through the lush beard. “This beard is my look in Hamari Adhuri Kahani (opposite Vidya Balan). This is my attempt to look shareef, which is a new one for me!”

Back from shooting Hamari Adhuri Kahani in Cape Town, Emraan is gearing up for his next release — Ungli of Dharma Productions that hits theatres today. The film that also stars Kangana Ranaut and Sanjay Dutt has been in the making for a while. “I am so glad the audience will finally get to watch this film. We are very proud of the film we’ve made. Ungli is a very relevant film,” sums up Emraan.

Emraan Hashmi with Shraddha Kapoor in Dance Basanti from Ungli

 

Ungli is a relevant film because it mirrors the society we live in. It’s a corrupt society and we have a lot of problems. Poverty, lack of education, poor sanitation… there are a gazillion problems facing the country today. Personally, I don’t believe vigilantism is a solution to any problem. You can’t right a wrong with another wrong. We need to work within the system to make things right. Having said that, Ungli is about voicing your opinion… it’s about rebellion

Why is Ungli an important film for today’s times?

It is a relevant film because it mirrors the society we live in. It’s a corrupt society and we have a lot of problems... something as basic as getting a taxi or rickshaw to commute to getting our work done in a government office. When your vehicle is going over potholes on the road, you wonder what you are paying such high taxes for. Poverty, lack of education, poor sanitation… there are a gazillion problems facing the country today.

In the film, your character forms a band of vigilantes. Is that the solution?

Well, the system is not working, which is why people have to go to extreme lengths. Personally, I don’t believe vigilantism is a solution to any problem. You can’t right a wrong with another wrong. We need to work within the system to make things right. Having said that, Ungli is about voicing your opinion… it’s about rebellion. I think it’s important for people to get involved in what is going on around them. You can’t just buckle down under the system and not do anything. So don’t blow up the potholed roads like we might in Ungli, but definitely question the concerned authorities about why you don’t have smooth roads. It’s important for people to get involved.

 

I went from being an actor who was known for playing cool, urbane characters to growing a paunch and looking the way I did. Everyone who saw the film (Shanghai) praised it and the performances. I don’t see numbers as the only criterion for judging a film

Are there issues that irk you?

I remember in college it used to really annoy me when autos would refuse to take me from point A to B because they wanted long-distance fares. About four years ago, I wanted to buy a flat in a building in Pali (Hill, Bandra) and the society refused the sale because I am Muslim. Except they didn’t say this directly to me. Instead they said that because I kiss in my films, my living in the building will have a bad influence on the kids!

In the last two years, you have constantly spoken about reinventing yourself. Have you been able to change your image?

When you lift your foot to take the next step, there is that moment when you are off balance and things can get shaky, but that doesn’t mean that you don’t take that step. Obviously, you can stay put in the same place. You have to move forward or you will stagnate. It was the same for my career. I had to do something different from what I had been doing. Some things worked and some things didn’t. I think the next two years will tell me if my attempt has been successful. Regardless of how my films have done, it was important for me to say goodbye to that phase of my career and move forward.

 

I really like Azhar as a character. Among our sports personalities, I think he has had the most interesting life.... Fitting all those years and controversies of his life in two hours is a tall order — on playing cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin in an upcoming biopic

Like you said, some films worked and others didn’t. Does that make you cautious about the offers that you take up?

I think risks have always paid off for me. I don’t think I’ll ever stop taking risks and picking films that are different and edgy. The work that I do has to make me lose sleep at night and make me doubt myself. Some actors keep doing the same kind of work through their careers because they need to keep churning out the hits. I can’t do that.

Take a film like Shanghai. You were so good in it, but the film didn’t work at the box office.

Thank you. I don’t know why you are saying the film didn’t work when it was made on a modest budget and everyone has taken a pay cut... it’s dark and gritty and addresses a socially relevant subject and you can’t expect it to make Rs 100 crore. We closed at about Rs 30 crore which was extremely respectable for the film. I went from being an actor who was known for playing cool, urbane characters to growing a paunch and looking the way I did. Everyone who saw the film praised it and the performances. I don’t see numbers as the only criterion for judging a film. A Rs 100 crore film can be an absolute disaster and have audiences walk out of the theatre abusing. The brand equity of the actors in that Rs 100 crore film could dip, while mine can soar after a Rs 30 crore film. That, to me, is success.

You are just back after shooting what you’ve called your first ‘proper love story’. Was it fun shooting Hamari Adhuri Kahani?

It was something new again. I don’t know how to look vulnerable on screen. I have never had to do it. I have always played characters who are very self-assured. I am not known to play shareef characters. I play a very shareef guy, so he has to be very likeable (laughs). Which is quite opposite of everything I have played on screen. Playing a nice guy has been emotionally draining.

You are also going to be playing Mohammad Azharuddin in a biopic next year...

Yes, I am so looking forward to it. I really like Azhar as a character. Among our sports personalities, I think he has had the most interesting life. We are taking our time in writing the script. Fitting all those years and controversies of his life in two hours is a tall order.

Karishma Upadhyay
What kind of films should Emraan Hashmi do? Tellt2@abp.in