The Family Man 2 Exclusive: Sharib Hashmi AKA JK On Manoj Bajpayee, Samantha Akkineni And Tamil Controversy

‘Suchitra Jaisi Wife Ho Na Ho, Ek JK Jaisa Dost Humesha Chahiye Life Mein’

How does it feel to share screen space with Manoj Bajpayee again in The Family 2?

The chemistry I share with Manoj Sir is very interesting. I wish I get to work with him every day, in every film. Not just acting, but there are many more things and life lessons to learn from him. I've been his fan from the time I saw him in Satya, and sharing screen space with him was like a dream come true. I feel very fortunate to know him.

Your camaraderie with Manoj was loved by all in the first season. Do you share the same bond with him off-screen as well?

I have found a friend, philosopher, guide, big brother all rolled into one in him. I would want to work with him again and again and again. I have shared most of my scenes in The Family Man with him so I have spent a lot of time on and off-screen with him. And now, we have shot for two seasons, so a special bond has spun between us.

Srikant and JK are considered as the best 'best-friend duo' in the web world. What do you have to say about that?

I still remember Manoj sir and I clicked on day 1 itself. On the first day, we did all the car scenes which also had the now-famous emoji scene, and we had a ball shooting for it. I am very well amused with the popularity of our duo on social media. Several tweets highlighting the on-screen chemistry between Srikant Tiwari and JK Talpade are doing the rounds. Right from 'Just JK...Chalein JK' posts to 'Vada Pav Meme' to the rib-tickling 'FOMO, LOLO, ROFLO' posts. Even Amazon Prime Video has shared some amusing images of us from the show. I was browsing through the internet where I found that in one of the interviews a fan has written "Suchitra jaisi wife ho na ho, Ek JK jaisa dost humesha chahiye life mein." I hope we get to do a project in future which will have us in completely different avatars.

‘Samantha Akkineni Accidentally Hit Me On The Face During One Of The Action Scenes’

How different is your character JK going to be in The Family Man 2?

All I have to say is Mausam ke badalne se hum character nahi badalte! Yes, there are some surprises and newness in everyone's characters be it with Manoj sir or me. People loved JK in the first season, and I intend to keep his traits intact so that people love him in season two as well. Kabhi kuch naya karne ke chakkar main log gadbad bhi kar dete hain! So why break, when it's not bending. Everything you saw in the first season, the fun, the thrill, adventure and excitement is going to double up in season two. It's going to be a joyride for the audience. And people who are waiting for The Family Man 2, the wait is going to be worth it.

After the trailer release of The Family Man 2, it has been getting a lot of criticism from the Tamil audience. What do you have to say about it?

You have only seen the trailer. I request everybody who has any issues with the series, please watch it first and then decide for yourself.

Samantha Akkineni is the new addition to the cast this season. Can you share with us your experience working with her?

It has been wonderful working with Samantha. Even though she is a huge superstar, she is easy to work with. She is a great co-actor. I have had great fun working with her. We are a part of some action sequences and I was amazed to see Samantha do some of the difficult stunts without the help of a stunt person. She accidentally hit me on the face during one of the action scenes. Though I didn't get hurt that much, she kept apologizing every time she would see me. She is really sweet.

‘The Family Man Revived My Career’

After getting recognition for your work in Filmistaan, you have featured in some of the most popular films and web shows. So was it tough for you to make your position in Bollywood?

The Family Man revived my career as after Filmistaan, nothing substantial happened on the career front. Then Asur came in last year in March and it got so much love and appreciation from the audience. The show ran completely on strong word-of-mouth. Then Scam 1992 came. I had just two scenes in the series but viewers still remember me as Bellary. Though a small role, it was a very significant one. I feel so happy to have been offered that role. Scam only reiterated my belief that the length of the role really doesn't matter.

Tell us something about your upcoming projects?

I am very excited for June 4 as The Family Man 2 is releasing. We might also see the launch of Dhaakad with Kangana Ranaut around October 2021. Apart from that, there are multiple projects like Mission Majnu with Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna, a web series for Hotstar and a few more interesting projects lined up for the future.

Lastly, what advice do you want to give your fans amid this pandemic?

The times are tough, but we as Indians are tougher. With unity, peace and empathy, we can do great things as a nation. It's important to do your part by being safe and making sure people around you are safe and vaccinated. Do not lose hope.