Emraan Hashmi in Raja Natwarlal

No personal questions, please,” is the brief before the interview. Read: No questions on Emraan Hashmi’s four-year-old son Ayaan beating cancer after being diagnosed in January. But Emraan, now back in India after spending months in Canada for Ayaan’s treatment, has a lot to talk about, otherwise. The actor, whose last release was the box-office dud Ghanchakkar in June 2013, has a film coming up: con caper Raja Natwarlal directed by Kunal Deshmukh, the man behind Emraan’s massively successful Jannat and its sequel Jannat 2. t2 caught up with Emraan for a chat on the August 29 film and beyond.

Raja Natwarlal seems like vintage Emraan Hashmi…

Everyone’s telling me that they are glad that I am back to the basics. I have been doing quite a few offbeat films, but Raja Natwarlal is purely commercial and in the genre that I am primarily known for. The film may be commercial, but then again, there’s a very powerful story at its core. The world of Raja Natwarlal and the drama that unfolds in the film is kind of a heightened version of whatever I have done so far. The con bit is a subplot… there is a series of scams culminating in one big scam… but essentially it’s a David vs Goliath story. A small scamster from the streets rises to become one of the biggest con artistes and in doing so, he takes on one of the most powerful gangsters in the business.

The film was initially called ‘Shaatir’. Was the change to Raja Natwarlal in any way a tribute to the Amitabh Bachchan film Mr Natwarlal?

The title ‘Shaatir’ did give an overall impression of what the film is about and initially we were happy with it, but as we kept shooting, Raja became a very colourful character. We felt that ‘Shaatir’ was going down a slightly dark zone, but the film isn’t dark. It’s got its edginess, but it’s also vibrant and fun. Raja aspires to be like Natwarlal, who is probably the biggest con man India has ever seen… the man who sold the Taj Mahal… the man who sold the Parliament with all its MPs. The film is quite interesting… it shows you how a fraud is planned, how the nitty-gritties are worked out and how it’s pulled off eventually. And yet there is romance, there is drama and a lot of emotions.

You’ve been missing from theatres for over a year now. Does that make even an established actor like you somewhat insecure?

No it doesn’t. It’s about getting a film right… it’s not the time it takes… it’s not the number of releases. I could have four releases in a year and if none of them worked, I would have more to worry about. I have just seen Raja Natwarlal and even if I say so myself, it’s turned out to be a smashing film. It’s taken a year to make, but it’s been worth the wait. This film really adds to my resume… like a Murder or a Jannat or a Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai.

Emraan Hashmi getting back to basics also means that Raja Natwarlal has a lot of kissing scenes....

(Laughs) It does. But surprisingly, we have got away with a U/A certificate. An Emraan Hashmi film with a U/A certificate is unthinkable, actually (laughs). But honestly, kissing scenes are no longer perceived as taboo by the audience. It had a lot of shock value some five-10 years ago, but now if you have to show romance on screen, you have to show it the way it is done. And which couple in love doesn’t kiss? (Laughs) Kissing has become a part of our cinematic culture. What I was doing 10 years ago, everyone is doing it now (laughs). Raja Natwarlal has its fair share of romance, kissing and intimacy… we’ve done it aesthetically.

You were asked recently whether your cousin Alia Bhatt has taken over the ‘Serial Kisser’ tag from you and you said that you are still the ‘headmaster’ of that school!

(Laughs out loud) It’s a fact, ya! I’ve done it for the last 10 years… sometimes I’ve done it willingly… sometimes I’ve had to do so under compulsion (smiles). But kissing is something that has been synonymous with my films. The audience wants to see me kiss, ya (laughs)!

Talking of Alia, she’s really come into her own in the last one year. You must be proud.

Of course! She’s fantastic. It’s very heartening to see someone as young as her take such giant strides in just about a year. She’s had back-to-back hits and has been part of films which were critically appreciated and she was singled out for praise. She does a Highway very well and can carry off a glam role like Student of the Year… she has great range as an actor. She was wonderful in 2 States. Alia’s just a born performer.

Like films, you are back on Twitter after a year. Do you intend to be regular now?

Not really. Honestly, I am not much into Twitter. I have only been active on it when my films have been on the brink of release. That’s one avenue to connect with fans and film buffs on a one-on-one basis, but other than that I am not much of a Twitter guy.

We got to see a different side of you on Koffee with Karan last season where you let it rip on quite a few questions. Is that the real Emraan or were you just going with the format of the show?

It’s the format of the show. But yes, I am not diplomatic. I think it was just the space I was in and the way Karan (Johar) asks those controversial questions (laughs). Sometimes, some questions bring that out in you… but if someone asks me a traditional question, then I will give a diplomatic answer and be quote-unquote boring. There are very few shows like Koffee with Karan where you can be yourself and let it rip — (on the show, Emraan wanted to gift his Murder co-star Mallika Sherawat ‘An idiot’s handbook to succeed in Hollywood’ while his advice to Katrina Kaif was: ‘Lose Ranbir’) — anything for that hamper, actually (laughs). And when you have competition like Mahesh Bhatt sitting next to you and he’s got a smug look on his face that says, ‘I’m gonna win it’, then you have to really up your game and teach him a thing or two about being undiplomatic (laughs).