Exclusive - Emraan Hashmi on moving away from the ‘serial kisser’ tag with Haq and Taskaree: ‘I never fit the bill of a conventional hero’

Emraan Hashmi

• Emraan Hashmi embraces diverse roles beyond his 'serial kisser' image
• OTT platforms helped Emraan reinvent and explore layered characters
• Recent works like Taskaree and Haq received positive audience response

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Actor Emraan Hashmi, was last seen in Taskaree on Netflix that saw him in the role of a Customs Officer, which was far away from his once famous 'serial kisser' image.

The Murder actor is happy with this phase now and feels it is a welcome change and is getting to explore more layered characters now thanks to OTT.

For over a decade, the serial kisser label defined the public perception of Emraan Hashmi and also ignoring the deeper reasons behind his popularity.

In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol recently, Emraan Hashmir reflected on that phase while looking back at the films that shaped his career, long before streaming platforms allowed reinvention to happen at scale.

Emraan entered the industry at a time when Hindi cinema was still conservative about projecting intimacy on screen.

His films like Murder, Zeher, Gangster and Aksar didn’t just stand out for their bold factor , but also the way they tapped into desire, and moral conflict.

While the kissing scenes from these movies grabbed headlines, audiences stayed for characters that were flawed, conflicted and emotionally vulnerable.

“I don't think I ever fit the bill of a conventional hero. People forget also that audiences have given me a lot of love. Initially, yes, I didn't get critical acclaim because of the nature of the films and how they were perceived. I got a lot of love from fans," he told us.

He himself admits that movies like Murder, Gangster, Jannat and Awarapan became chartbusters, but his image was restricted to that of 'serial kisser.'

“People would like to see me in a Murder, Jannat, Once Upon a time,” Emraan admitted.

As OTT platforms expanded the space for detailed and layered storytelling, Emraan has now found an audience willing to see him beyond the image he was once known for and he cannot be more happier.

His recent appearances in shows and films like Haq, Taskaree were loved by the audience.