Emraan Hashmi is glad to be back in the groove following a year of uncertainty. With Mumbai Saga, he has the perfect potboiler for big screens that have been hit hard by the pandemic. “After watching the film three weeks ago, I told Gupta [Sanjay Gupta, director] that he has made the right move by opting for a theatrical release,” says the actor, who plays cop Savarkar to John Abraham’s gangster.

Actors are often skittish about featuring in two-hero projects. Hashmi had little reservations as the director and Abraham welcomed him with open arms. “I loved Kaante [2002], so working with Gupta was always on my bucket list. I’d be lying if I say actors don’t feel insecure, but the anxieties were put to rest on day one. They were warm and adopted an honest approach to what was on the page. Gupta allows his actors to interpret their characters, and doesn’t crowd you with his own thoughts.”  

On the surface, Mumbai Saga may appear as a classic good-versus-evil story, but Hashmi insists that the director has explored the grey areas. “There are films that have good-hearted, righteous heroes, but I find them boring. People can’t be boxed so simplistically. Painting [characters] in broad strokes doesn’t allow them to mirror life. Also, one has to understand that for cops to clean up the streets, they have to bend the rules. Savarkar had to adhere to certain morality, but the situation back then [the early ’90s] was tough.”

The past year has brought multiple instances of police brutality to the fore. When asked about the uneven depiction of cops on screen, he clarifies, “I am an actor who abides by the director’s vision. At the end of the day, this is a film. If we think of so many variables, no movie will ever get made. It’s not possible to capture the cause-and-effect of every tiny detail. I hope people know this is a work of fiction. Savarkar, in no way, reflects the police force. There are bad cops and bad politicians in films and in real life, just as there are good cops and good politicians.”