Before becoming a household name with his role as JK Talpade in The Family Man,
Sharib Hashmi went through a 15-year-long struggle filled with financial hardships, uncertainty, and emotional breakdowns.
Speaking to Hauterrfly, Sharib and his wife Nasreen Hashmi opened up about the difficult years they faced after the actor quit his stable job at MTV to pursue acting full-time.
‘If she had said no, I would have continued my job’
Sharib revealed that he was earning around Rs 25,000 a month while working at MTV in the early 2000s when he decided to quit and chase his dream of becoming an actor.
“It was a very difficult decision,” he shared.
The actor admitted that he could never have taken the risk without the support of his wife, whom he married in 2003. The couple had already become parents by then and had also bought a house in Mumbai on loan.
“If she had said no, I would have continued living that life where there was nothing except work,” Sharib said.
Nasreen, however, said she always believed in his talent and wanted him to follow his passion.
“I was very confident about his talent. He worked extremely hard, and I wanted to support him. If you are happy, then do it,” she said.
‘I sold my jewellery bit by bit’
The struggle, however, lasted much longer than the family had expected.
Nasreen revealed that over the years, their savings dried up completely, forcing them to sell almost everything they owned.
“I sold my jewellery bit by bit. We couldn’t continue with our house either, so we had to sell it. Then I even sold the house I had inherited,” she shared.
She added that every time they thought things were finally improving, another obstacle would appear.
Sharib, who also wrote and acted in MTV Bakra, made his film debut with a small role in Slumdog Millionaire. However, despite the Oscar-winning film’s success, work opportunities remained limited for several years.
‘We had zero money’
Recalling one of the lowest phases of his life, Sharib revealed that there came a point when they had absolutely no money left.
“There was a point when we had zero money, not even enough to survive another day,” he said.
The actor remembered sitting outside a mall wondering whom he could call for help during the crisis.
Fortunately, help arrived through an old MTV colleague, who offered him writing work for the reality show Zor Ka Jhatka hosted by Shah Rukh Khan.
“Whenever I hit my lowest point, somehow some work or help would arrive and we would manage to survive,” Sharib said.
Grocery supplies on credit and emotional breakdowns
Nasreen also spoke about the emotional and financial struggles the family faced during those years.
She revealed that one of Sharib’s childhood friends, who worked at a grocery store, would continue sending supplies even when they could not afford to pay.
“We may not have had money, but we still survived on matar paneer,” she joked.
The couple eventually owed the friend around Rs 1 lakh, but instead of asking for repayment, he encouraged them to continue taking whatever they needed.
For Nasreen, however, the most heartbreaking moment came when Sharib began doubting his decision to quit his job.
“There was a point when he got very disappointed and asked me why I allowed him to leave his job. He said if I had stopped him, this crisis wouldn’t have happened,” she recalled.
Nasreen said she was deeply shaken by the statement and reminded him that the family had chosen to support his dream together.
“There should be no regrets,” she told him.
‘Give me two more years’
Another difficult phase came when the couple struggled to pay their children’s school fees.
Nasreen admitted that she eventually asked Sharib how much longer he wanted to continue struggling before thinking seriously about the family’s future.
Sharib requested just two more years to pursue acting — and fortunately, things changed soon after when he landed The Family Man.
The role transformed his career and opened several new doors in films and OTT projects.
Since then, the actor has appeared in projects including Scam 1992, Asur, Vikram Vedha, Mission Majnu, Fighter, and The Diplomat.
Nasreen revealed that Sharib slowly bought back all the jewellery she had sold during their struggling years.
“He kept his promise,” she said emotionally.
However, soon after Sharib finally found success, Nasreen was diagnosed with aggressive oral cancer. She is currently undergoing treatment and recently revealed that the disease has relapsed for the sixth time.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the
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