Actor Emraan Hashmi has weighed in on the massive success of Dhurandhar, calling out what he described as a negative mindset within the film industry that often tries to pull down films instead of celebrating their success.
Speaking during the promotions of his upcoming Netflix series Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, Hashmi said that commercial success should be seen as a collective win for the industry.
“Whenever a film does well, firstly, you’re happy. But there is a very crap mentality in our industry where people like to run down films. I believe if something does well, it should be celebrated. The more films succeed, the better it is for the industry — the cash flow comes in and it helps everyone,” he said.
Hashmi praised the film’s marketing strategy and strong word-of-mouth, which helped it dominate theatres. While he admitted he hasn’t watched the film yet, he expressed admiration for its audacity.
“It’s almost a three-and-a-half-hour film, and yet people are going for 12 o’clock shows and early morning screenings. That’s the power of cinema and word of mouth. It has caught on like wildfire,” he added.
The actor also shared a major update on Awarapan 2, a sequel eagerly awaited by fans of the 2007 cult classic.
“Almost 50 per cent of the shoot is done. One leg remains, which we’ll finish soon. The film will release a couple of months after that,” Hashmi revealed.
Directed by Neeraj Pandey, Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web features Hashmi as a principled customs officer tackling international smuggling networks. The series also stars Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Nandish Singh Sandhu and Zoya Afroz.
The series is set to premiere on Netflix on January 16.
With strong opinions on industry culture and multiple projects lined up, Emraan Hashmi appears poised for a busy and impactful year ahead.
