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This Teacher’s Day, Emraan Hashmi opens up about his guru, his school days, and the lessons he learned in life
Upala KBR (DNA; September 5, 2016)

Things are looking up for actor Emraan Hashmi, who was going through a rough phase, on the personal front. His six-year-old son Ayaan has made a recovery from cancer after a spirited fight with the disease. Currently shooting for Baadshaho, he talks about who he considers his guru and the lessons her learned in his film career. Read on...

My guru
“I consider (Mahesh) Bhatt saab to be my guru. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here. I have learned many things from him, including taking responsibility for what you do, not taking things for granted, always striving for excellence and truth, and being honest to your craft. I remember when I started my journey as an actor, he had given me a break in Footpath. When I went to his office to discuss the role, he had said, ‘If you are not good, I will throw you out.’ It was from him that I learned not to take my craft for granted.”

School-wise
“I wasn’t a good student at school. But I would get the job done. I’d score 75 per cent in my exams, cramming right before the exams. I just could not see myself as one of those students with my face stuck in a book. I was something of a prankster. And while I had several crushes, the biggest one I had was on my English teacher in Class 5.”

Lessons learned
“Of all the lessons learned —­ personally and professionally — over the years, the biggest one was that as a father, you behave the way you’d want your son to behave. You take up responsibilities that you see right through with love and strength. My son Ayaan, at his age, is impressionable so the most important lessons that he gets is not just from school but what he learns at home, too. I have grown up with the same morals and values and I don’t compromise on them. I have always lived by them and extended that in my professional space, too.”