Emraan Hashmi: Want to do films that scare him

Commercial Bollywood films may be his “bread and butter” but Emraan Hashmi says he is keen to take risks and do projects that scare him as a performer post his “creatively satisfying” turns in ‘Shanghai’ and Danis Tanovic’s upcoming movie ‘Tigers’.

Hashmi’s performance in the Oscar-winning director’s real-life inspired drama has earned him a lot of praise in the international media following its world premiere at the recently concluded Toronto International Film Festival.

“I understand that mainstream cinema is very important for me. It’s my bread and butter but once a year, I want to do a film like ‘Tigers’ which excites me and scares me as an actor. Risks are chaotic but if you go down the beaten path it indicates the death of your art and creativity as an actor,” Hashmi said.

The actor, who has carried the ‘serial kisser’ tag, is now working hard to avoid getting trapped into a particular image. He now wishes there were more Bollywood stars willing to take such risks.

“Before ‘Shanghai’ I played these urban, cool roles in thrillers. No one expected me to do a ‘Shanghai’ and this is why I chose that film. Box office is important but sometimes you need films that change things. They are not as much about money as about intent and ‘Tigers’ is one such film,” he added.

“I just hope there are more Bollywood actors who are willing to take risks. Somehow they are always chasing numbers at the box office. The benchmark of success is very different in Bollywood,” he added.

The actor will next be seen in ‘Mr X’, a dark, sci-fi superhero film and then ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahaani’ with Vidya Balan, which he will begin shooting next month.