'I was moved into bathroom to manage the crowd': Emraan Hashmi recalls near-stampede situation in Kolkata as 'Jannat' turns 18

As ‘Jannat’ completes 18 years, memories surrounding the cult romantic drama remain fresh among fans. Starring Emraan Hashmi and Sonal Chauhan, the 2008 film emerged as one of the most loved romantic thrillers of its time, earning immense popularity for its music, emotional storyline and Emraan’s charismatic performance. Directed by Kunal Deshmukh and backed by Mukesh Bhatt, the film became a major box office success and further cemented Emraan Hashmi’s popularity among young audiences.

Emraan Hashmi recalls wild fan frenzy during ‘Jannat’

Looking back at the film’s release phase, Emraan Hashmi recently shared an unforgettable incident with Bollywood Hungama, from a promotional event held in Kolkata during the inaugural IPL season in 2008. The actor revealed that what was supposed to be a regular fan interaction at a shopping mall quickly spiralled out of control because of the overwhelming crowd. “I remember it was 16th May 2008, during the inaugural IPL season. We had gone to a mall in Kolkata for a meet-and-greet. What started as a simple interaction quickly turned into a near stampede,” Emraan recalled.






As the crowd became increasingly unmanageable, the organisers reportedly had to move Emraan to a safer location inside the mall. “The situation got so intense that the mall owner had to step in and I was even moved into a bathroom to manage the crowd, with police called in to ensure everyone’s safety,” he shared. The actor admitted that the scale of the fan frenzy left him completely stunned.


“I couldn’t believe people were just shouting my name, wanting to catch a glimpse,” Emraan added. According to him, the response to ‘Jannat’ marked a major turning point in his career. “‘Jannat’ definitely became a huge turning point in my career,” he said.

Why ‘Jannat’ became a cult favourite?

Released in 2008, ‘Jannat’ revolved around Arjun Dixit, a street-smart young man whose obsession with success and cricket betting changes his life completely. The film combined romance, ambition and emotional conflict, making it connect strongly with audiences. Apart from the storyline, the film’s soundtrack composed by Pritam became hugely popular and remains iconic even today. Tracks such as ‘Zara Sa’, ‘Judaai’, ‘Haan Tu Hai’ and ‘Jannat Jahan’ went on to become chartbusters and are still remembered fondly by fans of the film.

Excitement around ‘Awarapan 2’

Meanwhile, Emraan Hashmi is preparing for another emotional drama with ‘Awarapan 2’, which is already among the most anticipated releases of 2026. The film reunites him with Vishesh Bhatt and is expected to bring back the intense romance and soulful storytelling that defined many of Emraan’s earlier hits. ‘Awarapan 2’ is currently slated to release on August 14, 2026.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”