Emraan Hashmi reveals Mahesh Bhatt threatened to remove him from 'Footpath'; 'If you can't act...'

MUMBAI : The actor Emraan Hashmi comes from a family of movie stars and recently talked about his early difficulties and his grandmother Purnima Das Verma's initial resistance to his acting work. Veteran actress Purnima, best known for her black-and-white roles and her portrayal of Amitabh Bachchan's mother in the 1973 film "Zanjeer," had hoped her grandson would take a different turn.

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Emraan revealed in an open conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, “She was scared. She didn’t think I could do acting.” Despite her influence on his life, Purnima was protective and wary of the unpredictable nature of the film industry. “She had seen so many ups and downs in her life that she was scared for me,” Emraan explained.

Emraan’s entry into acting wasn’t straightforward. “Sometimes what happens is that you come into the industry, your film gets launched, and then the audience rejects you overnight. This has happened to a lot of people,” he noted, reflecting on his grandmother’s concerns. She advised him to consider alternative careers, fearing he didn’t possess the conventional looks or talents often associated with film stars.

However, Emraan’s fortunes changed when his uncle, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, saw potential in him. “Mahesh Bhatt said, ‘I believe he can be an actor, I will launch him,’ and that’s when she felt at ease,” Emraan recalled. Bhatt’s belief convinced Purnima that her grandson could indeed succeed in the industry.

Emraan began his career assisting Mahesh Bhatt on the sets of “Raaz” before being cast in his debut film, “Footpath.” “The profession chose me, I didn’t choose films,” Emraan said, recounting how Bhatt’s company was restructuring and looking for new talent.

Bhatt uses a strict but successful mentoring style. Emraan revealed, “Mahesh Bhatt was quite clear before starting our first film together. He told me, ‘We are not a charitable association. If you can’t act and if the audience doesn’t like your performance, I won’t hesitate to throw you out of the film.'” Emraan had to hone his abilities under pressure because of this no-nonsense attitude.

Emraan earned positive feedback for his performance in ‘Footpath’ despite his initial doubts. “My schedule was just seven days for Footpath. However, they were so impressed with my acting that two days later, they held a special screening for my grandmother,” Emraan recalled. Mahesh Bhatt proudly told Purnima, “You thought he couldn’t act, but there is a star born in the family.”

Since then, Emraan Hashmi has acted in several popular films, such as 'Once Upon a Time in Mumbai,' 'Murder,' 'Murder 2,' 'Jannat,' and 'Raaz 3.'

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Credit- News 18