No Dirty Picture without Emraan

You may love him or hate him, but you have to credit Emraan Hashmi for creating an audience base that goes beyond his “serial kisser” tag. Willing to take on bold, aggressive roles (Murder, Jannat, Once Upon A Time in Mumbai), Hashmi expanded his horizons with rom-com Dil Toh Bachcha Hai Ji, earlier this year, and the forthcoming entertainer, The Dirty Picture. Taking some time off from the Jannat 2 shoot, Emraan spoke to us in a freewheeling chat.

This time, except for you, everything seems dirty in The Dirty Picture.
“No, I am the dirtiest of the lot. You can’t make a dirty picture without Emraan Hashmi. Dirty is pretty apt for the film. The tone of the film is bold and provocative but it doesn’t cross the line into vulgarity, which is always subjective. Still, most people have seen it in a good light. At the end of the day, it is an entertaining film.”
So how bold are you in the film?
“I am quite bold but Naseerji is the boldest in the film. He has taken on my mantle in the film. He is doing what I normally do in films. I have taken a break now (laughs).”
Did you hesitate before signing The Dirty Picture since Vidya Balan is the protagonist?
“I did consider that. Generally, I like playing the protagonist. I am a very selfish actor and don’t like sharing my screen space. Here, Vidya has greater footage. But I also felt that if I don’t do this film, I would regret not being part of a great film.”
While everyone in this film sports the 80s look, why is your look contemporary?
“My character, Abraham, challenges the way people dressed at that time and their ideologies. Everyone else is in a burst of colour but this guy looks different. He walks his own path and throughout the film he is seen wearing black. He is an artistic film maker and likes logic in films. He doesn’t understand buffoonery and entertainment, something that Vidya and Naseerji’s characters stand for. He is an intellectual and wears spectacles, etc.”
Reportedly, your character is based on your uncle and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt. How true is that?
“It’s not part of the script but yeah, I have probably subconsciously borrowed from him. In his time he was a rebellious director who did things his own way. There was traditional Bollywood cinema and there were his type of films. He was also very headstrong and volatile, like my character Abraham.”
Vidya Balan has said that you are a man of few words.
“Milan (the director) didn’t want us to meet before and talk much. I had never spoken to Vidya except for a phone conversation where she said she liked OUATIM and then, once at a function. We didn’t break the ice because of Milan. I was lost for words when I saw what she was wearing in the film. In the first scene, you have to see what she is wearing. Even you will be at a loss for words.”
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