Emraan Hashmi repackaged

Thursday, June 07, 2007
The media conference of Mahesh Bhatt's forthcoming Awarapan saw a packed turnout in a tiny but plush Central London restaurant on Tuesday 5th June. Attended by producer Mukesh Bhatt, Emraan Hashmi, and pop sensations from Pakistan, Mustafa Zahid and Annie (who've sung the chartbusting numbers from the film), the event saw a half-hour long media Q&A followed by live acts by the singers.

The highlight of the conference came in the form of a journalist accidentally referring to Emraan as the 'serial killer' instead of 'serial kisser', which obviously brought the house down! When asked if Emraan has kissed any of his leading ladies in Awarapan, he said, "You'll have to watch the film to find out!" (Though according to sources, this is the first time that he will not be snogging on screen!)

On a lighter and more humorous note, he added, "Now that I'm married, I will kiss more!" About Awarapan, he stated, "It's nothing I've done before. You'll see me in a repackaged avtar altogether! Shivam is a larger-than-life character, a kidnapper whose heart undergoes an extreme transformation. Director Mohit (Suri) has crafted an extremely sensitive and heartwarming love story with a strong thriller element to it!"

About Awarapan being his (and the Bhatts) first major international outing theatrically (courtesy of Studio 18), he added, "Our films have worked exceptionally on DVD. It was a mistake not to release our previous films in cinemas overseas, especially Gangster. We're looking forward to the release of Awarapan on June 29. Its music has already become a rage!"

On behalf of his brother Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt said, "The Bhatts have a deep connection with Pakistan. It's such a beautiful country. My mother was a Muslim. We're glad to have filmed the climax of Awarapan in Lahore. Inshallah, one day we'll see our films releasing simultaneously in cinemas in Pakistan!"

When asked why he incessantly gave Pakistani singers a break in Bollywood, Bhatt added, "Vishesh Films is a platform for new talent. We've given a break not just to talent from Pakistan, but also to singers from Srilanka, Bangladesh and Sikkim!"

Before Mustafa and Annie proceeded for their enthralling live acts (on To Phir Aao/Tera Mera Rishta and Maahiya respectively), both the drop-dead good looking singers were quizzed about their plans, if any, of foraying into acting. "Currently, we're concentrating on singing. But if there is an acting offer from the Bhatts, we might just take it up!" they laughed.