It isn't unlike Emraan Hashmi to straddle mainstream movies and middle-of-the-road cinema with equal ease. His upcoming release, Harami, has been selected in the competition section (New Horizons) of the Busan International Film Festival 2020 that is slated to kick off on October 21.

"It's reaffirming as an actor to be recognised by one of the most prestigious international film festivals. Harami is the only Indian film in the main competition section. Though it will be a close fight, I have high hopes," begins Hashmi, proud that the Shyam Madiraju-directed venture is one of the 10 movies to have made the cut.

Besides the Venice Film Festival, Busan is the only film gala that will be held physically in the wake of the pandemic. As much as he would have liked to witness the global applause for his movie, Hashmi admits his chances of going to the festival are bleak. "I wish Shyam and I could attend as per our invitations. But the Coronavirus cases have seen a sharp spike again in South Korea, and they have halted all foreign travel. So, short of being there in person, we will participate virtually as much as possible."

Hashmi's look in the gritty drama, which revolves around juvenile crime, has created a flutter — with dishevelled hair and thick glasses, the actor is unrecognisable as Sagar bhai. "Each aspect of the look has a backstory. Shyam's obsession with details is so contagious that I welcomed the idea of having a pebble in my shoe throughout the shoot to help me limp naturally."