Emraan Hashmi On Movies, Organic Virality & Staying Relevant

For over two decades, Emraan Hashmi has followed a career path that resists easy categorisation. From romantic anti-heroes to morally conflicted men operating in the shadows, his filmography has been driven by instinct rather than image management. At a time when visibility often outweighs substance, Hashmi has remained steadfastly focused on the work — choosing characters that allow him to explore contradictions, darkness, and emotional complexity. As nostalgia collides with discovery and a new generation finds its way back to his films, the actor remains characteristically unfazed by his pop cultural status.

On the eve of the release of his new Netflix thriller, Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, the actor gets candid on his aversion to repetition, his guarded relationship with fame and social media, and why redemption remains a non-negotiable element in the roles he chooses.

A still from Netflix's Taskaree: The Smuggler's WebNetflix

Tell us about Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web.

As an actor, you have to play both sides of the spectrum. I’ve played a smuggler, don, mafioso, goon, and even a match fixer. And then you get to play people from law enforcement agencies. I played a BSF officer last year. This was something new. I don’t think any other actor has played a customs officer before. It’s not a world people have explored, and I wondered why. It’s such an intriguing and interesting world. And I thank Neeraj Panday who came on board to bring this to light, because air travel smuggling, international flights, domestic flights — the way the stuff happens. We have seen seizures happen at airports. But how does this happen? How do customs work? How do they nab someone? They don’t just pinpoint someone on the line. It’s probably months and years of doing their research. It’s fascinating. 

Your career trajectory is fascinating - you’ve played every shade!

Yes, I have been able to play every possible character. It came from very early on in my career. It was not an awakening, but a realisation that if you’re in it for the marathon, then you have to play the whole gamut of things and not keep things repetitive. It’s not like repetitive things don’t succeed. There are some stars who’ve been playing the same character for decades, but that’s not me. I think my mind functions in a different way. I get bored fast. I have been a victim of hype, of being played out, of being typecast and stereotyped. But when it was in my control and people were willing to take a punt on giving me something versatile, I took it. 

As a filmmaker, Neeraj Panday draws from real life — people we encounter every day but rarely notice.

It’s interesting to play these characters because there’s so much meat to it. Having said that, when you talk about realism, yes, there is a dose of that, but the tonality is front foot and sanitized. I wouldn’t want to use the word masala because it gets misused a lot, but it’s a very, very pacy thriller that’s entertaining.

Instagram/Emraan Hashmi

What’s striking about you is that you’ve retained a sense of exclusivity. Beyond your professional space, one hardly sees you.

This isn’t something I planned out. This is just me as a personality. People used to ask me this even in 2005 — why do you disappear once the film is done? That’s the way I want to keep it. I’ve always wanted to compartmentalize my personal life, my private life, and my professional life. I don’t let the two lean into each other. When I’m working, my family has never come to my shoots. This whole thing of orchestrating life for social media — which has come in as an extension — I don’t really understand it. Although I do post, I’m always a little hesitant. I step back from constantly projecting and broadcasting my whole life. It’s a mess, if you ask me, this whole social media thing. It’s sick validation that stems from deep insecurities. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s party, but it does boil down to psychological issues. You have to be cognizant of why people are doing what they’re doing. You need to be self aware, which sadly many aren’t these days. 

Your cameo in Ba***ds of Bollywood became a viral talking point with Gen Z audiences going on an Emraan Hashmi discovery trail. 

I got a call from Netflix the next morning saying it had blown up. I don’t open my Instagram. This is obviously Gen Z audience, predominantly consuming Instagram and then going back and watching that stuff. I really didn’t dissect or try to understand it. It is what it is. I never got into the autopsy of what exactly happened. It’s not in anyone’s control. There’s also a terrain where you can pay and buy space, which I’ve never done. And then there’s virality that explodes in a very natural and organic way. That, for me, is the way to go — just put in the hard work, and the organic stuff brings longevity. 

What’s next?

I have four projects, including Awaarapan 2, Gunmaster, and the Telugu film G2. I would love to play a psychopath. That’s something I’ve not played. I’ve played dark characters, but not someone that dark. I’ve been offered roles like that, but I don’t know if it’s something I want to do right now, because there’s no redemption there. I always like my characters to have a certain amount of moral redemption — something the audience can take back with them. Very early on, I was offered to play Charles Sobhraj, but I said no. I didn’t like what I read in the papers. There was no redemption in a man like that.