Marriage, career, passion: Lesser known facts about Emraan Hashmi

Emraan Hashmi, an actor who carved a unique niche for himself in Bollywood, is often associated with his intense on-screen persona and the "serial kisser" tag he once carried. However, beyond the widely known aspects of his career lies a tapestry of lesser-known facts that offer a more nuanced glimpse into his journey, his family's deep roots in the film industry, and the personal experiences that have shaped him. From his initial struggles and accidental entry into acting to his battles and evolving image, lets take a look at some of the lesser known facts of the actor.

Before making his acting debut, Emraan Hashmi worked as an assistant director for Vikram Bhatt's 2002 horror film Raaz, according to IMDb. Interestingly, he was initially cast in a 2001 film titled Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar opposite Ameesha Patel but was removed due to his unpleasant acting skills. This setback fueled his determination to become an actor. Even after his official debut in Footpath (2003), he faced challenges, including needing around 40 takes for a single scene.

Emraan Hashmi belongs to a prominent family in the Hindi film industry. He is the nephew of director-producers Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt, making him cousins of actresses Alia Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt, and Smiley Suri, as well as directors Mohit Suri and Vishesh Bhatt. He reportedly has a cute nickname Emmi, called fondly by his family and loved ones. Reportedly, his grandmother, Purnima, was also an actress who notably played Amitabh Bachchan's mother in the iconic film Zanjeer.

Emraan Hashmi married his childhood sweetheart, Parveen Shahani, in December 2006 after dating her for about six and a half years. He has often kept his personal life away from the media glare. He recently revealed that Parveen's family had reservations about their marriage initially due to his on-screen "serial kisser" image, but he eventually convinced them. They have a son, Ayaan Hashmi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2014 but was declared cancer-free in 2019 after a tough battle. Emraan co-authored a book, "The Kiss of Life: How A Superhero and My Son Defeated Cancer," detailing their son's journey and his experiences as a father during that challenging time.

Interestingly, Emraan Hashmi initially did not aspire to become an actor. He revealed that he was once very afraid of facing the camera and that his entry into the film industry was somewhat accidental. He had even been dropped from his first film due to his lack of acting prowess at the time. However, this setback motivated him to pursue acting seriously.

Emraan Hashmi is known to be very particular about the music in his films. Many of his movies have had incredibly successful soundtracks, with some songs even earning more revenue than the films themselves. He believes that good music is essential for connecting with the audience. He has often shared his love for tracks from his movies. Playback singers like Himesh Reshammiya, KK, Kunal Ganjawala, and Atif Aslam have frequently lent their voices to his film songs, contributing to the success of his movie albums.