Sealed with a kiss

It's Emraan Hashmi's career we're talking about and the actor seems smug about his fate.

No two ways about it. Emraan Hashmi is controversial. And successful while going about it. His seemingly endless kissing marathons on screen have not kept him in good stead with conservative film audiences. But fact is, Hashmi is the toast of the masses, a populace for which a kiss on screen is fodder for scandal.

But fame is not a constant; controversies may come and go, but real stars live on. Not so for Hashmi. His films have never been brainteasers nor thought provoking classics. Their selling points have been hot scenes and hotter smooches that he shares with his co-stars. And the films click every time. Case in point, his last release Aksar, where he sizzles with co-star Udita Goswami. And yes, the kisses are there - loads of them.

Hashmi started his career with his uncle and mentor Mahesh Bhatt's film Foothpath (2003). The film did not do all that well, but Hashmi was noticed for his talent (no, not smooching. That was not on the itinerary, not yet)

His ticket to stardom came with his next film Murder (2004) - with the Bhatts. He had Mallika Sherawat as co-star, who came with the dubious reputation of sharing 17 kisses with co-star Himanshu Malik in her last film Khwahish. No stopping Hashmi then as he got into kiss mode with a vengeance. The hit songs Kaho Na Kaho and Bheege Honth, Mallika's unihibited exposure and Hashmi's cool act, drove audiences wild, making the film a golden jubilee hit. It is with this film that Hashmi started his series of onscreen kisses and earned the bad boy tag.

His next release, Tumsa Nahin Dekha (2004), was again with the Bhatts. The highlight of the film was Hashmi's smooch with Dia Mirza, which was promoted right from the word go, through a publicity blitzkrieg that had the electronic media going with all guns blazing. The film sank without a trace, thanks to a poor storyline. That would not deter Hashmi.

Zeher (2005), which came next, was a Hashmi hit that went on to celebrate its silver jubilee. This Bhatt film directed by Mohit Suri had the actor acting for a change instead of kissing his co-stars silly. The movie earned good reviews, but there's a catch. What made audiences flock to theatres was not previews of the storyline, but the remix

version of one of the songs from the soundtrack. Woh Lamhe was picturised on Hashmi, Goswami and Shamita Shetty and saw the actor sharing hot kisses with Goswami, who plays the 'other woman' in the film. Hashmi had a reputation to maintain and he was doing it as best as he could.

Hashmi moved out of the Bhatt camp by doing Chocolate (2005). The film had an ensemble cast comprising Anil Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Arshad Warsi, Irfan Khan and Tanushree Dutta. Halka Halka and Zahreeli Raatein, songs picturised on Hashmi were again a success, making him a musical lucky mascot.  He had a hot dream number with Tanushree Dutta (who was not actually paired with him in the film) which was unfortunately edited before the release of the film. The film was a critical hit but fared poorly at the box office.

Aashiq Banaya Apne (2005) established Hashmi's reputation for his liplocks and musical chartbuster

numbers. Critics and fans said, if it's a Hashmi starrer, expect great smooches and a thrilling soundtrack. Whatever business Aashiq Banaya Aapne did at the box office was mainly due to songs composed by Himesh Reshamiya. The movie's title song became a craze and was filmed on Hashmi testing lip skills with Tanushree Dutta, his co-star.

Next, he teamed again with the makers of Zeher for a supporting role in Kalyug. The song Aadat's remix

version, picturised on Hashmi, shot up the music charts. The only disappointing factor for his fans was his No-smooch act in this film as he did not have a heroine pitted against him. No smooch, no hit, but Hashmi, with two hits to his credit in a single year, couldn't care less.

Hashmi's calendar in 2006 started with Jawani Diwani. The movie promoted him as a serial kisser and he lived up to the image by smooching Celina Jaitley umpteen times. The film was projected as a comedy but banked heavily on Hashmi's bad boy image to pull off this lacklustre film. The movie flopped. Suddenly, critics wagged their tongues stating the Hashmi craze was over and his formula of locking lips and a hit soundtrack was not enough to sell a film.

Aksar, his next film with Goswami, had songs that set the rhythm on the dance floor. Jhalak Dhiklaja, Soniye and the title track ruled the charts before the film's release. And yes, he locked lips once again with Goswami, who was right up Hashmi's alley with exposure scenes that have set a yardstick on exposure in Bollywood. The modestly budgeted film is the year's second success after Rang De Basanti. Take that, critics.

Which brings us to the present. Gangster, his next film, will see Hashmi paired with new actress Kangna. It has music by Pritam Chakraborty, the music composer of Dhoom (which had a hit soundtrack) so good music is expected. And this is the novel part, Hashmi does the first underwater kissing scene in Bollywood history. Make no mistake, when it comes to kisses in Bollywood, Hashmi sets the trend.