'Gangster,' 'Jannat': Emraan Hashmi's memorable gray roles before 'Tiger 3'
The trailer of Tiger 3 has been out only for a few hours, but Emraan Hashmi's salt-and-pepper look has already hooked fans. Hashmi's second release of the year, it is fronted by Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, and stars Hashmi as the primary antagonist who hails from Pakistan. In light of this, revisit other films where his character was soaked in gray shades.
'Gangster'
Hashmi was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Gansgter: A Love Story, directed by Anurag Basu and co-starring Kangana Ranaut and Shiney Ahuja. Written by Mahesh Bhatt and Basu, it was a critical and commercial success. Hashmi once said, "Gangster is very special for me and I didn't know the impact it would create would be [enormous]."
'Awarapan'
Mohit Suri's Awarapan is best remembered for its glorious soundtrack, which had songs such as Toh Phir Aao, Mahiya, and Tera Mera Rishta. Reportedly, an unofficial remake of the South Korean movie A Bittersweet Life, it starred Hashmi as an atheist gangster Shivam Pandit, who works for Bharat Daulat Malik (Ashutosh Rana). Shriya Saran, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Purab Kohli co-starred in this action-drama.
'The Dirty Picture'
Hashmi was also a pivotal part of The Dirty Picture, featuring Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Tusshar Kapoor. He played a filmmaker and described his character as "a successful, upright and somewhat rebellious producer from [the South Indian film industry]." Reports swirled that this role took some inspiration from his uncle-director Bhatt's life, and Hashmi admitted that Bhatt was indeed his "muse."
'Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'
In Milan Luthria's Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, Hashmi was seen as Shoaib Khan and his character was based on notorious, dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim. He was joined by Prachi Desai, who played his wife Mumtaz, and her character was based on Ibrahim's wife Mehjabin Shaikh. For his critically acclaimed performance, the Selfiee actor was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
'Jannat'
While the audience may have come to sympathize with Arjun Dixit's character in Jannat, his character in this romantic crime film helmed by Kunal Deshmukh was still heavily gray. Obsessed with being rich overnight, Dixit resorted to tactics such as manipulation and match-fixing. As a part of his research, Hashmi also met some bookies in Mumbai to understand his role better.
