Interview with Emraan Hashmi

We caught up with Emraan Hashmi who plays the character of Mohammad Azharuddin in the film Azhar.

How do you think the film has shaped up?

I’m very pleased with it. We’ve achieved what we set out for. This film was not anything like the usual films I do. I got a call in 2014, that’s when Ekta (Kapoor; producer) spoke to me. Then, the script was written, the research started, Azhar Bhai gave the film his go-ahead, and then I met him over lunch. He then began training me. I started talking to him about his life, the problems he had gone through, his captaincy, and more. And all that has come out on screen exactly the way we planned it. I must add that Tony (D’Souza; director) has made a fantastic film.

Emraan, how much of a cricket lover were you while growing up?

I think cricket is in our blood, and it is a religion in our country. I have definitely followed a lot of his matches through the ’80s and ’90s. It was a different era of cricket at that point in time. I wouldn’t say it was contaminated, but there weren’t too many options. There would be a very singular attention on cricket when the matches would happen. Only one or two channels would show them, and each match was like an event for the house. It’s not like how it is now… there are so many avenues now. I always say that those were the glory days of cricket, which Azhar bhai was a part of, and I was fortunate to have grown up in that time. When India-Pakistan matches would happen, the city would shut down to see them, and we used to play too. Everyone would fight about who was going to bat first.

People will be extremely critical when they see you essaying Azhar's role on screen. Are you ready for some criticism too?
You can expect that from any film of this nature. It is normal because you are playing someone popular and alive. You can't please everyone. It's something every actor would fear, but this is not exactly a biopic in its true sense. The film finds a sweet spot between a biopic and a film which is too outlandish to be true. I would say 90 per cent of his (Azhar's) life is there in the film but it has been made a lot more dramatic. It's a popcorn film; you go there to enjoy and get entertained. So I had to decide where I could take the liberty in treating a scene differently. I am ready to face criticism. But as of now, after the trailer launch, the praise has outnumbered the criticism.

We heard some of the cricketer’s traits and quirks stayed with you for a long time even after the film was done? Let us more about that.

Some of his mannerisms lingered on to my next film Raaz 4. I did face slight problem while shooting for my next and my director would keep telling me – ‘Please get out of Azhar right now’. I had copied his style for so long. The small things he does like he shakes his head, his gait, walking like him with one shoulder up, head tilted on one side. I would constantly do that on the sets and it consciously became part of my style when I was playing the other character. It took me some time to get out of Azhar,” (laughs)

Azhar is a very private person how was it with him opening up to you?

I was surprised to learn that Azharuddin, doesn’t open up easily. He shared quite a bit from his life with me. Obviously, he opened up to us because the film was being made on his life but I wasn’t expecting that. I had heard about Azhar bhai that he doesn’t share too many things but he opened up quite a bit and we were quite happy with the kind of stuff we got from him. To make this a personal journey I had to get stories, moments and experiences of him that is not just media stories you have read about. I had to spend time with him and get all of this first hand.

Will you be doing more movies based on real personalities? Did you enjoy it?

I have to admit that shooting for this film was a very satisfying and fulfilling journey.

So much so that now I want to do more of such films that draw from reality and demand the kind of work and research we put in as compared to fictional films.

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