Skip to main content

'Ek Thi Daayan doesn't propagate witchcraft’


Emraan Hashmi is an antithesis of his over-the-top screen image. In real life, he has a wicked sense of humour, for only those who get it. When he debuted in 2003, critics were quick to write him off due to his non-hero looks and his choice of films. It has been a long journey and not a smooth one for him since his ‘Murder’ days. From a mass hero catering to mostly frontbenchers to bankable star super-hit potboilers, he has coursed the long mile. His performance as Jogi Parmar in 'Shanghai' made the critics sit up and take notice of him. With Vishal Bhardwaj's 'Ek Thi Daayan', Emraan's filmi graph has taken a new turn as he stars along with Huma Quereshi, Kalki and Konkona Sen Sharma. In a candid chat, the star tells us about his role and why he wants to get rid of his ‘kisser’ image.

Excerpts from the interview:
How did ‘Ek Thi Daayan’ happen?
I was drawn to the story and the subject, written by Mukul which was adapted by Vishal. It was fascinating because thematically something like this has never been done before. ‘Ek Thi Daayan‘ deals with daayans (witches) which has not been explored much in Indian cinema. It is a different interpretation of with a couple of jump-out-of-seat moments. Fear is psychological and we have experimented with that.
Horror films in Bollywood are ridden with clichés. How is this film different?
Daayan is experimenting with a new genre of horror and we have tried to do away with the clichés associated with horror films. Whether it will work or not is for the audience to decide.
'Ek Thi Daayan' has been called regressive by a certain section of media. Shouldn’t cinema bear social responsibility?
I don’t think that is the right way to look at it. Our audience is intelligent enough to realize that this is a work of fiction and we are not propagating witchcraft. Though horror films do feed on superstition, there is no hidden message in the film. We have got clearance from the censor board too.


When you consider a role, what excites you as an actor?
My role in the script and the whole film in general. On the first day I am very unsure of myself and on how the film will pan out because no matter how much effort or hard work you put in a film, you can never be sure of its outcome.


From 'Murder' to 'Ek Thi Daayan', how has your journey been?
Right now, I am in a space where I feel content. When I did 'Murder', Bollywood had never explored erotic thrillers and it definitely marked the onset of bold cinema. But over time, it started getting repetitive. I would go back home and think on how I can get out of my comfort zone and do something different. And then came 'Shanghai' where my character was quite complex. I've never played a character from a small town and so this role was very different for me, both in terms of getting into his psyche and changing my body. I always aspired for a role which will be a departure from being the mainstream hero. Very few of our actors want to step out of their comfort zone. I want to do something like what Christian Bale does in his films. He does a 'Batman' and 'American Psycho', and still manages to look like a Crystal Meth addict in 'The Fighter'.

Does the serial kisser tag bother you anymore?
No, it doesn’t but I am fed up being called a serial kisser. I hope you guys finds something more innovative now or don't call me anything at all. I will be happy with that.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fear of no cellphone: 9 out of 10 suffering from 'nomophobia'

Nine out of every 10 people aged under 30 admit to suffering the new age phenomenon of "nomophobia", the fear of having no mobile phone, a survey says. Telecom giant Cisco, in a survey conducted on 3800 people in Australia, found nine out of 10 in the group aged under 30 were addicted to their smartphones and became anxious when their phone went missing, the 'Courier Mail' reported. "It's happening subconsciously, and one out of five people are texting while they're driving," Cisco chief technology officer Kevin Bloch said yesterday. "It just speaks to these addictive, compulsive, behaviours that we're seeing." "For many under-30s, the smartphone has become an extension of themselves, from the moment they wake up until the second they fall asleep," said Bloch. "This love affair with the smartphone is both enabling and crippling at the same time," Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, official adviser to the Queensland Government on...
Post a Comment
Read more

Peter Pan generation and you!

It’s called the generation that refuses to grow up—preferring to remain unmarried, childless, living with the parents, with a lifestyle of endless socialising. Are you part of the phenomenon? You’re 35 and living with your parents/in-laws, because: a.    There’s someone to have a hot meal ready on the table when you get home from work, and monitor the maid when you leave in the mornings. b.    There’s no way you can afford a house loan and still maintain your lifestyle of alternate nights out and yearly international holidays. c.    Your parents are dependent on you to manage the expenses of the home and you come home to a comfortable, clean apartment with food in the refrigerator, which you haven’t had to worry about. It’s a mutually beneficial situation. You’re 32, have been married five years, but kids aren’t on the cards. a.    Kids mean responsibility and you can’t stand the idea of 3 am feedings and your kids’ exams putt...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hangout Music Festival 2013: Best Of The Big Festivals ... On The Beach We're heading down to this year's Hangout, and here's why you should too.

Gulf Shores, Alabama seems like an odd place to have a music festival, but then again, there was probably a time when folks scoffed at the idea of doing one in Manchester, Tennessee, too ... and look how that turned out. I'm not about to compare Alabama's Hangout Fest to Tennessee's venerable Bonnaroo just yet ... but it's not exactly a stretch to see the similarities between the two. And I'm not just talking about their Southern locales, either. No, it starts with the notion that the organizers behind both fests are kindred spirits, in the way they book bands — fun fact, Trey Anastasio has performed at 50 percent of the Hangouts! — and the way they run their respective events. Like Bonnaroo, Hangout is fun and loose; it may not have the famously dusty (and fabulously communal) campgrounds, but it makes up for that in metric tons of white sand, beautiful Gulf breezes, and warm sun. Not to mention boardwalk bars, waterslides and more peel-and-eat shrimp that you...
Post a Comment
Read more