Entertainment | Celebrity
'Raan's the man
After an incredible low last year, Emraan Hashmi's on his way up once again. Let's find out more about his rollercoaster journey.
- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:37 September 17, 2008
After an incredible low last year, Emraan Hashmi's on his way up once again. Let's find out more about his rollercoaster journey.
Emraan Hashmi has experienced the best and the worst in the last couple of years. If 2007 was a lousy one with no notable film offers and blockbusters eluding this unconventional actor, then 2008 was all about cornering the best project deals and hiking his price four times over.
And the movie that changed his course of life and acted as a bridge to the have-have not divide was the blockbuster Jannat. When news trickled in that Hashmi, who was seen last playing the role of a compulsive gambler, was angling to jump on to the A-list bandwagon driven by the invincible Ks (Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar), e+ could not help but slate an interview with him.
And not surprisingly, every club, filmmaker and advertising agency, was trying their best to rope in Hashmi for a special appearance or a commercial. Dubai's nightclub, It's Mirchi, at the Ramee Royal Hotel was no exception. Here are the excerpts from the interview conducted during his visit to town...
Has life changed after the success of Jannat?
There has been a tectonic shift in my life. For starters, I have started demanding a price quoted by A-list actors. All of a sudden, directors and filmmakers feel I am more talented and bankable then before. Having said that, as a person, I am still as insecure as ever. It has even increased a notch, because expectations have also risen with the success of Jannat.
The grapevine has it that your colleagues are not too happy with your meteoric rise. In fact, Akshaye Khanna has allegedly gone on record saying, "If Emraan Hashmi is demanding such a high fee, then how much should an actor like me ask for?"
There is a propensity in the Bollywood film industry to judge one's worth by comparing oneself to another actor. If Akshaye Khanna has made such a churlish remark, then it is his prerogative and his problem. I would never dream of deciding on a market price based on the amount my colleagues are pocketing for a film deal. Having said that, I would do a film for free if the script excited me.
Is it also true that Warner Bros India have moved on from you after hearing about your astronomical hike in your price?
That's right. But it's not Warner Brothers who have moved on, instead it was I who gave them a pass. Their strategy of signing me on after gauging the success of Jannat backfired. When I realised that Jannat was a huge hit, I quoted my new price. Two can play the game and to put it simply, the negotiations did not work out.
You did not deliver a single hit in 2007. Did that affect your overall morale?
2007 was a bad year for me and I was going through a rough patch. After delivering as many as 8 hits since my debut in 2003, I discovered that I had become complacent and had begun taking my career for granted. And since I had never gone through a do-or-die scenario, this was all new for me and I did not handle it very well. Fortunately, 2008 has been different.
Now that you have filmmakers making a beeline to your door, what are your future projects?
I am working on a horror film titled Raaz 2. I have come full circle with this film. You know, some six years ago I was behind the camera assisting the director and now I am acting in it. It's an exhilarating feeling. What's more. I feel the genre of horror flicks is in dire straits in India. This film will surely be a step in the right direction. So watch out for it!
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