No one can insult me without my permission: Emraan Hashmi

A make-or-break film for Emraan Hashmi, Hamari Adhuri Kahani (HAK) was supposed to give the actor’s career a fresh lease of life after a string of flops. This is the third time he has been paired opposite Vidya Balan and it also being a Mohit Suri film, much was expected from it.

But now, HAK’s out and its fate at the BO is decided. But Emraan is unfazed. “I really never felt the pressure. I understand everyone needs to make money and there are expectations, but HAK is one film that went beyond all that. It was a wholesome cinematic experience for me. Box office earnings are, of course, always a bonus. It was a bit tense for my producers until the first Monday, but I guess it turned out all right,” he says.

While the film got a decent opening, some reviews were far from encouraging — in fact, the fraternity was divided in its opinion about the film, most tilting the negative end. The film was called ‘regressive’ — a term Emraan says needs to be put into context. “I respect every department in filmmaking — including critics who review the film. Critiquing a film is a person’s opinion. Just because he/she is a fan of slapstick comedy doesn’t mean I enjoy the genre as well. What is good for her/him, may be a headache for me so a review isn’t necessarily a benchmark to gauge a film. As far as people calling it a regressive story of a woman is concerned, we need to know that being progressive does not just mean wearing jeans and t-shirts. There are still pockets in our country where all this still happens. So many husbands and boyfriends still dictate a woman’s life. We had to show the woman to be like that to justify the choices she makes. Everyone feels the need to be loved as it’s a universal feeling. I don’t take these things too seriously. Besides, no one can insult me without my permission.”