By Durga Chakravarty
New Delhi, Nov 30 (IANS): He has been a part of the Hindi film industry for 18 years and has given hits such as 'Murder', 'Jannat', 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai', 'Shanghai' and 'The Dirty Picture' among others.
Emraan Hashmi, who will next be seen in films such as 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' and 'Tiger 3', says he never really wanted to be an actor but calls it the "best accident" of moving into a different territory.
Talking about his 18-year-long journey in Bollywood, Emraan in a chat with IANS said: "It's been a learning experience. It's a journey that I have cherished… With highs and lows. Meeting people, working on some fantastic projects. Ever since I took the decision to become an actor, I think it was the best decision.
The 'Aashiq Banaya Aapne' actor says he wouldn't want it any other way.
"I never really wanted to be an actor till a year after my college… I graduated and I think it was the best accident of moving into a different territory, otherwise I was gonna go somewhere else entirely," he said.
Unlike other Bollywood stars, Emraan's filmography boasts of films as different as chalk and cheese.
How does he pick projects, considering he has featured in a myriad of genres such as political thrillers, drama, romance, comedy, horror and suspense?
"Well, (it is the) script. It's all about the script. It's all about the passion of the director to make that script and give that script his everything and of course the producer on how their vision is to see it through… And of course the character I am playing, it has to be an interesting character different from what I have done before," said the 42-year-old star.
What makes him say no to a project?
Pat came the reply: "The same thing. If the script does not excite me. It will be a big 'no'. Nothing else can sway me."
Having been part of Bollywood for so long, Emraan, whose latest release include 'Dybbuk' agrees that the industry can get brutal as it defines an actor's career with the hits and misses they give.
Emraan said: "Yeah of course, no doubt about that. I think it all like a Friday stock that either goes up or it plummets and no actor is immune to that. Success does not last nor does failure. You have to be okay with these pitfalls… the highs and lows."