Headline: “During the pandemic, people started consuming OTT content a lot and it opened avenues for newer actors, fresh faces, different stories. Even the audience evolved during this phase and they began watching out-of-box stories and with ‘The Family Man’, my career got a new lease of life.” – Sharib Hashmi
Understated and a bit under-rated, this brilliant actor perhaps has not got the due he deserves from the industry. He showed his mettle in films starting from Slumdog Millionaire but it was the OTT that discovered what a fine actor he is. The Manoj Bajpayee starrer ‘Family Man’ showcased his brilliant portrayal of J K Talpade and that caught everybody’s eyes. Meet the very talented Sharib Hashmi who tells Sumita Chakraborty all about his acting journey from Slumdog Millionaire to Asur, Family Man and more…
It’s been quite a journey for you from Slumdog Millionaire to Family Man and Asur, how has the journey been?
My journey has been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride. I have seen more lows than ups, fortunately now I am in a better position. And I also know for a fact that nothing is constant in this industry. So I want to make the most of this time while I can.
How did you get your first break? Why did you want to be an actor more so as your father was a well-known journalist and you started out as a writer?
Well, I worked as a writer for years before I decided to pursue acting as a career. I started as an AD and then I shifted to writing for non-fiction shows and for niche channels like MTV, ETC etc I also worked in MTV as their in-house writer for four years.
Though I did Slumdog Millionaire and Haal E Dil while I was still working as a writer but the thought of taking up acting as a profession had not occurred then. The first film I signed after quitting my job and giving auditions for 3 years was ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan‘, which I got it through an audition – the casting director Shanoo Sharma called me to test for Jab Tak Hai Jaan‘, after she saw a short film of mine called ‘Mehrooni’ and I got selected.
Has it been difficult gaining entry into Bollywood?
Oh yes, it’s been very difficult. The road was full of hardships and I faced rejections on a daily basis and that can break you if you don’t keep a positive attitude. Thankfully I had a strong support system consisting of my family and friends especially my wife who stood by me like a pillar.
What are the challenges you faced in the Hindi film industry?
Getting work is the biggest challenge we face. And meeting the right people is a difficult task too. You really have to go through the whole grind to even get an audition call from the right people.
You are the surprise packet in Family Man – I personally thought you were fab, how did you get this web series and what did you see in the character that made you say ‘yes’ to it?
To start with it was the other way round. The question of me saying yes was never there. I had auditioned for the part. I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra bhai’s office and they wanted to test me for a part in ‘The Family Man’, earlier the character was supposed to be a Bengali and his name was Ghosh but I gave the test in a neutral accent. Raj and DK liked my audition but they didn’t want me to put on a fake Bengali accent. I told them I’m a total Mumbaikar born and raised in Mumbai and can speak Marathi. So that’s how Ghosh became Talpade.
Do you think after the pandemic, there has been a transition in the Hindi film industry, things have changed and more good content and good actors are being spotlighted?
During the pandemic people started consuming OTT content a lot and that gave a boost to the OTT industry. It opened avenues for newer actors, fresh faces, different stories. And so many brilliant actors got their due thanks to The OTT boom. Even the audience evolved during this phase and they began watching out-of-box stories and with ‘The Family Man’, my career got a new lease of life.
Is there any difference in working on the OTT as opposed to films?
I don’t see any difference for actors. We have to say our lines and ac in front of the camera. In fact it is better in a way for the actors as we get enough time to establish our characters and get ample footage on screen as the duration of the series is way more than that of a movie. The difference I feel is more for the creators because the dynamics change here. The cast is vast, there are multiple tracks, and hence, it needs to be treated differently. They have to keep every episode engaging and leave a hook point at the end of every episode. So the difference is more for the creators.
Do you think you’ve got your due in the industry?
It’s difficult to answer that .. but I am very happy with the way my career is shaping now. I did expect great things post ‘Filmistaan’ but things didn’t pan out the way I expected them to. And I was almost giving up when ‘The Family Man’ happened and it brought me back in the game. And the audience love has increased insanely. So yes I am happy. But yeh dil maange more.
You’ve written scripts and you’ve also assisted, does it mean that some time in the future, we can see you direct too?
Of course, I really wish to direct in the future – hopefully, very soon. And I’ll direct my own script. So I’m trying to zero in on a subject.
You also sang a song on Jagjit Singh Gazal “Baat Nikalegi” which got featured in Rolling stone. Tell us about this?
I was actually shooting in the US last August for a feature film starring Anupam Kher sir and Neena Gupta Mam. And during the shoot, a crew member Zohaib who happened to be a musician as well heard me hum a song. He immediately said that he would love to record me. I jumped on the idea immediately and we recorded a Jagjit Singh ghazal cover. And then I was shooting in UAE for another film, I met a dear friend Yasin Khan and made him hear the song. He loves it so much that he proposed to make a music video for me. And that’s how the song happened. And I’m really thankful to Rolling Stone for featuring my interview and the song on all their digital platforms.
Could you tell us about your future projects?
I’m very excited about my forthcoming projects. There’s Dhaakad, Mission Mainu, Sharmajee Ki Beti, Vikram Vedha and Shivshastri Balboa and a few more.
Break 1: “My journey has been nothing less than a rollercoaster ride. I have seen more lows than ups, fortunately now I am in a better position.”
Break 2: “You really have to go through the whole grind to even get an audition call from the right people.”
Break 3: “I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra bhai’s office and they wanted to test me for a part in ‘The Family Man’, earlier the character was supposed to be a Bengali and his name was Ghosh but I gave the test in a neutral accent. Raj and DK liked my audition but they didn’t want me to put on a fake Bengali accent. I told them I’m a total Mumbaikar born and raised in Mumbai and can speak Marathi. So that’s how Ghosh became Talpade.”
Break 4: “It opened avenues for newer actors, fresh faces, different stories. And so many brilliant actors got their due thanks to The OTT boom.”
Break 5: “In fact the OTT is better in a way for the actors as we get enough time to establish our characters and get ample footage on screen as the duration of the series is way more than that of a movie.”
Break 6: “Of course, I really wish to direct in the future – hopefully, very soon. And I’ll direct my own script. So I’m trying to zero in on a subject.”
Break 7: “‘The Family Man’ happened and it brought me back in the game. And the audience love has increased insanely. So yes I am happy but yeh dil maange more.”
Break 8: “I was actually shooting in the US last August for a feature film starring Anupam Kher sir and Neena Gupta Mam. And during the shoot, a crew member Zohaib who happened to be a musician as well heard me hum a song. He immediately said that he would love to record me.”
