Emraan Hashmi: Not a victim of image!

Aakanksha Naval-Shetye
After much speculation regarding the casting of Vishal Bhardwaj’s Daayan, a source now reveals that the cast has not only been finalised, but also that they are expected to begin shooting soon. Contrary to rumours, an insider reveals that Vidya Balan will not be a part of this film. “It’s Konkona SenSharma and Kalki Koechlin who will be seen playing the lead alongwith Emraan Hashmi,” says the insider. “They will begin shooting for it in Bengal, right after Vishal wraps up Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola for which he has been shooting in Punjab,” adds the source. And Emraan who has been busy shooting Raaz 3 with actor Bipasha Basu apart from promoting his upcoming film Shanghai, will immediately begin shooting for Daayan, without taking any  break. According to a source close to the actor, he has been working non-stop for quite some time now, save for a break of two to three days. “First Shanghai, then Rush, followed by Raaz 3 and now Daayan, Emraan has been busy shooting round-the- clock these past few days. Also the weight gain and loss for his roles seems to be taking a toll and his family has been asking him to take a break for atleast a week between his shoots.” But Emraan is in no mood to slow down. “I never complained when the chips were down. So, why complain when the going’s good,” quips the actor. And it’s not just the increasing number of films that has the actor excited. “He has been doing films with actors who are known for their glamourous image, as well as those who are considered ‘intelligent’ too, like Konkona and Kalki. You wouldn’t have imagined these pairings a few years ago and are a further proof of Emraan’s market acceptability at all levels today,” points out the source. But ask Emraan about it and he shrugs it off. “Bagging a role opposite someone doesn’t give me the kick, it’s being accepted by the audience that matters to me,” he says. “Of course, it’s always a pleasure to work with talented actors, but I don’t like to segregate them on the basis of their image. I myself was trapped in an image and it did not justify my talent as an actor, so I don’t go by their public images. I’m just happy to be working with a rather talented bunch of actors who are special in their own ways,” adds Emraan. 

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