It’s easy to see why Bollywood director Kunal Deshmukh has only worked with Emraan Hashmi in all his films. The two share a palpable easy camaraderie.
In Dubai to promote their latest film, Deshmukh’s fourth, on Wednesday, the director talked about why that relationship is essential to the success of the film.
“Emraan had so much faith in me when I showed him the script for Jannat,” he told tabloid!, referring to his 2008 hit. “And we’ve shared that great actor-director rapport ever since. And when you have that kind of a relationship, you don’t just let it go.”
“I know exactly what to expect when I’m working with him,” Hashmi chimed in. “And that makes all the difference sometimes.”
Raja Natwarlal, out this weekend in the UAE, is a “rom con” Hashmi said, where he plays a small-time conman looking for his big break — until his friend gets murdered. His search for vengeance then sees him lock horns with a big-time gangster leading him to plan the biggest scam of his life. “It’s a David versus Goliath story, about a small-time conman who wants to bring down this imposing larger-than-life villain,” he explained.
Raja… is Hashmi’s first release this year, after his last two films — last year’s Ghanchakkar and Ek Thi Daayan — did badly at the box office. He said the break was not timed because of that.
“Raja Natwarlal just took a long time to make because there were a lot of locations and the script needed a lot of tweaking because we wanted to get it right. It’s also the first film that I shot the longest, over a span of eight to nine months,” he said. “I usually do two to three films a year but this one just happened to be this way.”
The comedy will also see the Bollywood debut of Pakistani actress Humaima Malick, best known for her role in the acclaimed 2011 Urdu film Bol.
She said she jumped at the opportunity to work in a film that had a lot of songs and dances.
“I was excited for people to see me in a completely different light and having a bit of fun,” said the 26-year-old.
In Bol, Malick played a girl with five siblings, all girls, in a traditional Muslim family, whose father yearns for a son. The film was hit in Pakistan, where it broke box office records, as well as across the border in India. “I thought about it for a while before saying yes,” said Malick. But this is something different for me. And films like Bol don’t come every day. So I said ‘why not?’. I want to experience new things, try something new.”
For Hashmi, who’s mostly known for brooding looks and as a serial kisser because his films usually feature many kissing scenes, the chance to “shake a leg” was a tempting one, too.
“I hate to dance because I can’t,” he laughed. “But there’s also great fun dialogues, action and comedy. It’s a very technical film but Kunal has managed to add drama and emotion to it. So it’s like a typical Bollywood film and really fun.”
Raja Natwarlal is also Deshmukh’s first film outside of the Bhatt camp — all his previous films have been produced by Vishesh Films, co-owned by director Mahesh Bhatt and his brother Mukesh. Hashmi is their nephew.
“I still came to Emraan because of that work history. This is the one film where we’ve really worked hand-in-hand. Emraan was even watching it at the edit. That’s the kind of support I was looking for,” he said. “It’s not something that happens overnight. It’s a relationship that’s built over many years.”
A former restaurateur, Deshmukh said there were no films he wouldn’t make.
“I want to try everything,” he said, to which Hashmi replied: “What? Even a sex comedy”
“Yes,” Deshmukh responded. “And I’ll have you as the lead.”
