'My fans don't come to a theatre to see me kiss'

Serial kisser Emraan Hashmi has come a long way.

The actor is basking in the success of his latest film Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai, which completed 100 days.

He tells Sonil Dedhia why he loves playing characters with grey shades and why he chooses to work with controversial subjects.

How does it feel now that Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai has completed 100 days?

It feels great because nowadays there are hardly any films that have a 100-day run at the box office. The film was set in the 1970s when films actually did celebrate 100 days.

The film was critically as well as commercially acclaimed. So as an actor what more do can I ask for?

There are talks of a sequel.

I don't know whether it's a sequel or a prequel, and I am not sure if I would be a part of it as it all depends on the director (Milan Luthria) and the producer (Ekta Kapoor) of the film. It's been a great experience to work with them. I am doing another film with Milan but it's too early to talk about it.

Your other film Crook didn't do so well. Did that disappoint you?

It's not just Crook. I feel bad when films don't work as we give so much to the project.  

Quite a few Hindi movies are going retro. Is that a new trend?

I am a bit skeptical of following trends but it's great that we were one of the few who experimented with it. I wouldn't mind being a part of the projects that start a certain trend.

Actors are also experimenting with their looks. But we don't see much of that with you. Why is that?

Yes, many actors are changing their styles and looks. But I prefer to play different characters in every film rather than change my looks in every film. At the end of the day, it all depends on the character. It's not in my hands to experiment with my looks.

You play a lot of characters with grey shades. Any particular reason for choosing such movies?

I like that. I like certain realism to the characters I play. There are some characters which are heroic and there are some who have a different ideology. They are more like the anti-heroes who have their own way of thinking. According to me, villains are dead. In the recent past, I don't remember any movie which actually had a villain in it.

A lot of your films also deal with controversial subjects.

I find such films very interesting. Playing such characters challenges me. For Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, I did a lot of research about a gangster's mannerisms and you can see the result.

Similarly, during Jannat, we met a lot of bookies and I personally sat with them to learn the tricks of the trade.

There are chances of failing when you attempt something unique but then I would rather do something like that rather than doing the same thing. At the end of the day, my fans will get to see something different.

The songs in your movies have always managed to become super hits. What's the secret behind this?

All the credit goes to my music directors, singers and lyricists. But at the same time, I am very particular about my songs. Role kaisa bhi ho gaane achche hone chahiye [whatever the role, the songs should be good].

You still carry the tag of being a serial-kisser. Does that bother you?

It's a bit amusing but I didn't know it would catch on so fast! Five years ago, I wore a T-shirt in a film with the tag 'Serial Kisser' and it's stuck ever since. At the end of the day, my fans don't come to a theatre to see me kiss someone else.

As you are a father now, do you think that the serial kisser image might harm your personal life?

Not at all, my bold image is just a part of my job. I have to feed my family and they understand that it is my profession. It is out of my hands. It all depends on the script and the directors and what they want from me.

Do you think the Bhatts are responsible for that image of yours?

They have been like a support system to me and I owe them a lot. If the script demands it I'll do it, and I have no qualms doing so.

How are you coping up with fatherhood?

I try to spend as much time as I can with my son but I'm very bad at daddy duties. I tried changing diapers but I failed miserably. It's quite a task to take care of a baby so I leave it to my wife (Parveen Shahani).

Can you tell us about your future projects?

Currently there is Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji with Madhur Bhandarkar which will release in January. I will soon start shooting for Murder 2 and Milan Luthria's next.