Emraan Hashmi reflects on getting typecasted as ‘Serial Kisser’ post Murder, claims, “I was selling it myself”

Actor Emraan Hashmi first gained significant recognition with his role in Anurag Basu’s 2006 erotic thriller, Murder. In this film, Hashmi portrayed an obsessive lover and had several kissing scenes, a bold move at the time.

Following Murder, Hashmi continued to feature in films with similar scenes, earning him the label of Bollywood’s ‘serial kisser’ in the early 2000s. In a recent podcast with journalist Shubhankar Mishra, Hashmi addressed this aspect of his career. “I don’t blame the audience. A large part of my career until 2009, 7-8 saal tak, woh image thaa mera joh producers sell kar rahey the. Mai khud sell kar raha tha (A large part of my career till 2009, for 7-8 years, it was my image that the producers were selling. I was selling it myself),” the actor admitted.

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Reflecting on his experience filming the lip-lock scenes in Murder, Hashmi noted that it was a ‘sticking point’ in Hindi cinema, as audiences were not accustomed to such ‘bold quotient’ and ‘unapologetic rebellious characters’ at the time. He explained that during that era, his characters were often ‘tainted’ and engaged in ‘unethical activities’, in contrast to other heroes who were portrayed as ‘righteous’.

Emraan Hashmi on his career choices

Hashmi’s candid acknowledgment of his career choices and the image he portrayed highlights the changing dynamics in Bollywood over the years. The actor’s willingness to embrace and discuss this phase of his career offers insight into the industry’s evolution and his personal growth as an artist.

Most recently, Emraan Hashmi made a cameo appearance in Sara Ali Khan’s 2024 film, Ae Watan Mere Watan. Looking ahead, he has two Telugu films, OG and G2, in his lineup, indicating his ongoing versatility and presence in the film industry.

Also Read: Emraan Hashmi wishes to work with Murder co-star Mallika Sherawat again, addresses their feud saying, “We were young and stupid at that time”