One of the toughest phases in Emraan Hashmi’s life was when his son Ayaan was diagnosed with cancer in 2014. He was four years old then and was declared cancer-free in 2019. Looking back, Emraan says, “I would say that I started valuing family a little bit more.”

Emraan adds, “I realized that you can’t take anything for granted. Just take one day at a time and live life to the fullest. You don’t know what the future entails. Don’t have any regrets. I have become a little more disciplined about my health and my family’s health. Our diet used to be extremely unhealthy before Ayaan’s diagnosis. We realized that and made many changes to our lifestyle.”

Over the years, the actor, who used to work on projects back-to-back, has slowed down. Did that phase make him realise the importance of work-life balance? “I have always wanted to strike a balance, so it isn’t a result of any particular upheaval in my life,” says Emraan, adding, “I tried doing that after we got married and had Ayaan. Your life gets affected when you become an aggressive workaholic, but I made deliberate efforts to ensure that I could make time for my family as much as possible.”

Ask Emraan if his son has watched any of his films, and he shares, “He saw Tiger 3 and Selfie recently. He liked Tiger 3 more for its big-screen experience. He likes watching all things expansive in theatres with heavy-duty action, spectacular sets and stunning VFX.”