Emraan Hashmi
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Contents |
Personal life
Ayaan’s cancer
The Times of India, Apr 2, 2016
How Emraan Hashmi helped son fight cancer
No kidding: Hashmi says the real hero is his son Ayaan, who fought second-stage Wilms’ tumour. (Image courtesy: Getty)
Playing Batman turned out to be the best role of his career as it confirmed his ailing four-year-old's belief in superheroes. Excerpts from his memoir...
Who is this?' I waited for a split second before answering him. I needed to make sure I replied to him in the right voice. He might be young, but he's very sharp.
'I'm Batman,' I replied in a low, gruff tone. 'Is that Ayaan?'
There was a pause. I could imagine his eyes widen with disbelief. 'Y-yes? Is that really... Batman?'
'How are you, Ayaan?'
'I'm okay, Batman. Are you fighting crime in Gotham? Papa told me!'
A lump formed in my throat. I decided to tell him what I had called him for in the first place.
'Would you like to become a superhero like me, Ayaan?'
He breathed heavily with excitement. I could hear it over the phone.
'Yes!'
'Then listen to me very carefully. It will take some time, but once we are done, you are going to become better than Iron Man! You will be Ayaan Man!'
I knew Ayaan loved Batman. But I had already donned that cape. If I had offered him the chance to be Batman, he wouldn't have quite liked the idea of us playing the same superhero. The incongruity would get to him. That's how I decided we'll pronounce his name in a way that resembled another one of his absolute favourites — Iron Man.
'Okay,' he replied. 'What will I have to do?'
'Listen to me very carefully, Ayaan...'
I remembered the night before, when we had tricked Ayaan into believing that we had checked into a hotel. I had met the doctors and nurses in an adjoining room so that he didn't overhear my conversation with them. Once I went back to his room, he threw a fit when he was given the insipid hospital food. He demanded pizza and all the other junk that got him happy. It took us some time to get him to settle down, after which he asked me a simple question. 'Is it my birthday or is it Christmas, papa?' he inquired, earnestly. 'Is that why we are in a hotel? To celebrate?' 'Yes Ayaan,' I replied. 'It's gonna be your birthday soon and we will celebrate many many more birthdays together!' My four-year-old baby boy was diagnosed with second-stage Wilms' tumour, a type of cancer that affects the kidneys and typically occurs in children. Wilms' tumour is very uncommon. Children of African origin are more prone to suffer from it than children of other races. It is named after a German doctor, Max Wilms, who wrote one of the first medical articles about the disease in 1899 — it would seem unfortunate for a man to have a damned disease named after him. Because at that moment, I disliked the word itself.
Ayaan's cancer was my life's biggest hurdle. Suddenly, I had to prove to myself that I had in me the stuff that my role models were made off. I had to be Superman, in my own little way. I had to not just fight away the enemy that threatened my son's life, but also prove my mettle professionally... But the real hero was my son... Kids like him are made of sterner stuff than we adults are. They battle the disease one day at a time for months, sometimes years, enduring pain and sacrificing their moments of childhood that will never come back... My son wanted to be Batman. In many ways, he has become him. He has coped with pain and has fought cancer. Just like all stories need a conclusion, the story of Batman needs to end too. I don't have the heart to tell him that Batman doesn't exist. I don't have the strength to tell him that after all those sessions of chemo, he won't have any superpowers. But probably, he will learn by himself, just like I did, that living your life responsibly is a superpower by itself.
So after writing this book, I am going to make one final call to him as Batman. That story needs some closure. This time, however, I won't be convincing him to have the meal that he's fussing about or I won't be calming him down before his chemo session. I am going to tell him, 'Son, you have endured it all. You are six years old now, and soon you will finish school and go to college. I will grow old and wither away, and you may have to face the big bad world out there by yourself. But you've got a great head-start. You have won the unlikeliest of battles already, so now, whatever it is that comes your way, you have to put on that cape of responsibility, hold your head up high bravely and give all of life's problems that knockout punch.'
Onscreen persona
Emraan’s important films
Emraan Hashmi has had quite an interesting journey in the Indian film industry. The once labelled flop actor later became amongst one of most talented and skilled actors in [Filmistan]
Murder
Post Emraan Hashmi's debut in 'Footpath', the actor was labelled flop as the film failed to perform well at the Box Office. However, it is his second film - 'Murder', that shot the actor to fame. Emraan played a jilted lover in 'Murder', and the film turned out to be a huge breakthrough for him.
Gangster
Based vividly on real life gangster Abu Salem and Monica Bedi's love story, Emraan Hashmi played an undercover Indian detective in the film 'Gangster'. Alongside Emraan, Kangana Ranaut made her big Bollywood debut in the film.
Awarapan
Emraan Hashmi, post his portrayals in many films, was labelled the lover boy of the industry. His films were known to be raunchy as intimacy was a never rare. Before the release of 'Awarapan', the actor refused to kiss on screen in all his next releases. 'Awarapan' didn't have any intimate scene in the film, and thus is said to have marked his downfall. However, the film was the first ever joint production between India and Pakistan.
The Train
Emraan Hashmi starrer 'The Train' was a thriller that kept the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the film. Also starring Sayali Bhagat and Geeta Basra, 'The Train' is a story of the complexed extra-marital affair between layered characters.
Jannat
Emraan Hashmi starrer 'Jannat' was a huge success at the Box Office as the film was critically and commercially acclaimed. A story about a conman with a six sense who wanted to make quick-bugs, 'Jannat' is about a man stuck between the good and bad choices in his life.
Once Upon A Time In Mumbai
Emraan Hashmi played a notorious gangster, whose description and traits that closely resembled that of real-life gangster Dawood Ibrahim. Also starring Ajay Devgn in the lead, the film was a great success at the Box Office.
The Dirty Picture
'The Dirty Picture' though focused on the female protagonist, Emraan Hashmi still managed to win over the audience with his honest portrayal of the character.
Shanghai
Emraan Hashmi starrer 'Shanghai' was a political thriller that dealt with the infrastructure of the state. The film saw itself in legal trouble and released only in around 1200 films. Yet the film turned out to be critically acclaimed, though commercially it failed to perform as well.
Hamari Adhuri Kahani
Based on the love story of Mahesh Bhatt's parents, Nanabhai Bhatt, Shirin Mohammad Ali and his stepmother, the film takes one on an emotional journey of turmoils. Emraan played hotelier Aarav Ruparel in the film.
Azhar
Emraan Hashmi's last big Bollywood outing, 'Azhar' saw the actor play former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin. This is the first ever biopic that the actor took up. Emraan went an extra mile to fit in Azharuddin's shoes, and went through extensive cricket training for his role.
Serial Kisser
The Times of India, Apr 2, 2016
I remember shooting my first bold song, 'Bheegey Honth Tere', in Bangkok. It was set in several locations, but one of them was particularly amusing, Emraan reported.
Mallika and I were shooting on the top of a parapet of a seven-storey building. After having exhausted every variation and situation that led to the numerous kisses in the song, Anurag wanted us to make out on the ledge of that building! I kept teasing him about how he was making us play out his fantasies on celluloid. So at sundown, when the shooting lights came on, the entire city block came to a halt on the street as they watched us shoot! I'm sure they would have been amused watching two entangled bodies under a sheet snogging away for the camera!
Some people have the general misconception that I enjoy shooting erotic scenes. It's really not that easy. I'm always conscious before I pucker up. It's one thing to do it in the confines of your room with your own partner, but quite another to be playing it out on a set in front of a whole crew scrutinizing your every move and a director who gives you instructions on how to go about it. If anyone thinks it's their dream job, they're sadly mistaken. The sexy kiss on screen seems like the unsexiest thing off screen. Most of the time there is awkward teeth clanking with the director yelling, 'Show your face, Emi. Your face is getting covered by your hair.' And the most irritating one, 'Guys, your make-up is all over the sheets. We will have to change them. Let's break for lunch.' I mean, sure, I get to kiss these beautiful women and all of that... but it does get boring. Either ways, it's a burden I bear and will continue to do so... willingly. And like it or not, after more than a hundred and fifty kisses (I've lost count), it's not easy to dethrone me as the Kissing King or Chumban Devta as a crowd that had gathered for one of my film shoots in Delhi started shouting. Spider Man says it best: It is my gift and it is my curse.
Filmography
As an actor
2003 Footpath
2004 Murder
2004 Tumsa Nahin Dekha
2005 Aashiq Banaya Aapne: Love Takes Over
2005 Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets
2005 Kalyug
2005 Zeher
2006 Aksar
2006 Dil Diya Hai
2006 Gangster
2006 Jawani Diwani: A Youthful Joyride
2006 The Killer
2007 Anjaam
2007 Awarapan
2007 Good Boy, Bad Boy
2007 The Train: Some Lines Should Never Be Crossed...
2008 Jannat: In Search of Heaven...
2009 Raaz: The Mystery Continues
2009 Tum Mile
2010 Crook: It's Good to Be Bad
2010 Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai
2011 Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji
2011 Murder2
2011 The Dirty Picture
2011-2015 C.I.D. (TV Serial)
2012 Jannat2
2012 Raaz 3: The Third Dimension
2012 Rush
2012 Shanghai
2013 Ek Thi Daayan
2013 Ghanchakkar
2014 Raja Natwarlal
2014 Tigers
2014 Ungli
2015 Hamari Adhuri Kahaani
2015 Mr. X
2016 Azhar
2016 Raaz Reboot
