Hashmi, honestly

Emraan Hashmi's rise is a case study of how an ordinary man became a star. Once panned as the serial kisser, he is making the cash registers ring with a slew of films. Is it just the kiss, or the irreverence he exudes, or is it a combination of the two, where the public feel he is one among them and claps when he suddenly goes up there and displays the chutzpah to kiss dream girls?

Says Emraan, "When Murder happened, people felt it wouldn't appeal to the sensibilities of the common man. It did. Youngsters no longer consider kissing a taboo and my character represented the rebellious attitude of urban youth today. But to say that the kiss was the only reason for my rise to fame is not right. I believe a film has to have more than one USP to work."

Emraan contends that from his first film Footpath he has positioned himself differently. "I didn't want to be another chocolate hero. I chose characters with shades of grey. Without sounding immodest, I must say the industry is full of insecure actors. Nobody would agree to play second fiddle to a rank newcomer, which I did in Kalyug." Something he has done again in Gangster released recently. "Yes, but here, for a change, I am playing a positive role." He says till date he has played young, fast and furious. "Here Akash is mature and mellow. The film is a triangle but the gangster angle provides the thrill element, taking the subject to a new high."

He is seen wearing spectacles too. "Every time, I get tired of my face, I wear them," he smiles. One of the USPs that has worked in Emraan's favour is music. Irrespective of the box office result, the music in every film has been a chartbuster. "It is a happy coincidence. Gangster also has great music by Pritam. My personal favourite is `Ya Ali'."

It's the last kissing scene that the actor has reportedly done in the film. "Yes, I have had enough of it. I didn't want to do it but Anurag Basu explained that it was integral to the script. It is an underwater scene that took us an entire night to shoot, but it would last for hardly a few seconds on the screen," says Emraan.

He denies his engagement has made him change his image. "I know Parveen from childhood. She was always averse to such scenes. Now she has learnt that we have to cater to public demands. I am 26, I want to play characters that will suit my age." He continues, "This doesn't mean I would deny my fans what they expect of me." Up next is Good Boy Bad Boy, a Subhash Ghai production, where Emraan is obviously the bad boy. "There are Killer and Awarapan in the pipeline too."

ANUJ KUMAR

http://www.thehindu.com/mp/2006/05/02/stories/2006050200170600.htm