Exclusive Interview: Emraan Hashmi: I Don't Take My Films Back Home

Emraan Hashmi gets candid about his upcoming film, 'Cheat India', his son Ayaan's reaction to the trailer and the actor's 2.0 version.

"After watching the trailer of Cheat India, a lot of people messaged me and told me that it's a very refreshing Emraan Hashmi 2.0," says the actor with a spark in his eyes. Lately, the stark difference in his choice of films is quite evident. Apart from winning over the masses, Emraan is eyeing stories which have been unsaid and need to be told.

Recently, Filmibeat caught up with Emraan Hashmi for some exclusive tête-à-tête about Cheat India and his transfomation when it comes to picking up scripts. Excerpts from the conversation-

Q. The trailer of 'Cheat India' features a combination of an interesting content coupled with solid punchlines. Was it a deliberate move to keep those dialogues to entice your audience?

Q. The trailer of 'Cheat India' features a combination of an interesting content coupled with solid punchlines. Was it a deliberate move to keep those dialogues to entice your audience?

A. No, it's got nothing to do with enticing the audience. We don't have that kind of dialoguebaazi which people think would be there in the film.

My character has a certain philosophy about life. He is a good talker and says nice things. It's not for the effect for the audience. You would understand this when you watch the film. There are spoken lines. It's a very real world.

There's nothing filmy about what he is saying. But yes, still in his inherent nature, he says some really nice, profound things which people find interesting.

Q. Has your son Ayaan watched the trailer? What was his reaction to it?

Q. Has your son Ayaan watched the trailer? What was his reaction to it?

A. Yes, he watched it and liked it a lot. He is very intrigued by the trailer. Obviously, I had to tell him that cheating is bad because his father is propagating cheating in the trailer.

Q. We have grown up hearing about the corrupt ecosystem existing in the education system. Now, that you are father to a kid, do you think that helped you to connect more with the subject of the film?

Q. We have grown up hearing about the corrupt ecosystem existing in the education system. Now, that you are father to a kid, do you think that helped you to connect more with the subject of the film?

A. Of course. Not just because I have a son. After I passed out from my school and college, I realized how little I had learnt during that period and how much little real world application that knowledge has given me or lack of knowledge.

Everything was just about how much information you could withhold and not want you can do to survive outside in the world. That was one reason.

Then there was of course the scams, the paper leaks which happened in my time when I was studying, the route-mugging which I realized was of no use, some disinterested teachers that I realized in my college days.

It's a very corrupt, fractured, rotten education system. I even got to know about the middle-men who make money around it while working around this film. Earlier, I was unaware about that.

Q. Cheat India is also your first home production. If you had to pinpoint that one USP of the story which you felt you should be told on the big screen, what would that be?

Q. Cheat India is also your first home production. If you had to pinpoint that one USP of the story which you felt you should be told on the big screen, what would that be?

A. A plea for a revolution in our education system. That's what the film tries to tell the audience. Our education system is rotten and fractured. Something should be done about it.

Our kids are involved. Parents are stressed out, jobs are unavailable. Whatever you do, this country's progress will be stifled because of the education system.

Q. Your character Rakesh lies somewhere between black and white. Playing such a character isn't an easy feat. How challenging was it to switch in and out of that zone?

Q. Your character Rakesh lies somewhere between black and white. Playing such a character isn't an easy feat. How challenging was it to switch in and out of that zone?

A. I can switch off and on. I don't have an issue with that. I switch off after the camera shuts off. I don't take my films back home.

Earlier, I used to though. Back then, when I enacted an angry scene, I would end up getting pissed off for a couple of hours. I am sure that can still happen to me.

But now, I don't take the character back. I have a fair divide in my head with what I am playing and wear a reality check on who I am.

Q. Finally now that people are finally talking about your 2.0 version, was it refreshing for you as well to play this character?

Q. Finally now that people are finally talking about your 2.0 version, was it refreshing for you as well to play this character?

A. Yes. Just the whole tonality of not doing things over the top, playing it real and at the same time, keeping that sense of commercial elements intact was quite refreshing.

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