It’s been nearly a month since film shoots in Mumbai were stalled. Shoots either moved out of the state or were deferred entirely. Shortly before the new set of restrictions were imposed in Maharashtra, Emraan Hashmi’s Mumbai Saga, also starring John Abraham, was released in theatres. But then, the second wave took over and all other releases and shoots came to a standstill in Mumbai. Talking about the impact of the second wave, Emraan says, “I don’t want to sound like this is happening to our industry or me alone. I just find myself in a fortunate place that my family and friends are secure. Health is the priority right now for everyone. We are living in scary times. As an individual and an artiste, you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.”

Talk to him about how much he misses being on a film set in these unpredictable times, and the actor says, “It turns me on to be on a set and to be deeply involved in playing a character. When you stay away from a film set for a long time, you feel insecurities and frustrations of some sort simmering inside. Yes, it is disappointing and frustrating that you can’t do what you love doing the most. But what do you do? Waiting is the only option. We have to see how this resolves itself. We’re all grappling with the current situation, and as I said, other things, including health and safety are the main priorities now.”

As he inches closer to the two-decade mark in Bollywood, Emraan is already thinking of what would interest him as an actor at this point and in the future. He says, “For me, it will always be about the basics — narrating strong stories — because that is what people want, and not necessarily on any particular medium. It does not matter to me where the content plays out, as that’s always the producer’s prerogative. It’s about honing your craft. That’s where I come from, and now more so, with the doors of the digital platforms flung open even wider than before. When I did my first show with an OTT platform, people wondered why I did it. For me, it’s always been about the story. My priority is to do great work, chase quality over quantity, be a part of great stories and team up with some fantastic filmmakers. With the advent of the OTT space and an added degree of exposure to international content, I want to take that step forward and explore a project outside of our country whenever possible. The ingredients for an OTT movie or a show are pretty much clear to everyone now. In unprecedented times like these, which have pushed the theatrical business into a different space, one will have to observe and think harder to bring the audience back to the cinemas.”

Elaborating on how he sees his career evolving in the future, Emraan shares, “Hindi cinema is my first love and will always be, but I want to explore something internationally. I want a new journey and I want to try something outside the Indian market. That would be fun. In the next five years, I want to see that dream realised in some way.”

When asked if there have been conversations around this, the actor, who has worked with Oscar-winning, Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanovic for Tigers, says, “I have collaborated for Tigers, but it went down a controversial route. The prospects would have been a lot better if that hadn’t happened. I was open about doing a film like that at that time — it was with an Oscar-nominated director and would have had a great international release had the controversies not erupted. It has always been at the back of my mind that I want to do something worth my while internationally. Eventually, it all boils down to great stories. If you do something for too long in the professional space, you tend to reach a saturation point, you get that been-there-done-that feeling. I don’t mean to say that Hindi cinema is giving me that feeling, but I am at a stage now where I want to try out something abroad. Yes, there have been conversations lately, but I would not want to do a blink-and-miss part. The project has to tick all the boxes.”