Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar, who has previously shown his acting skills in Modern Love Mumbai (2022) and The Buckingham Murders (2024), is all set to shoot an international film with a UK-based director.

Planned to roll early next year, the yet-to-be-announced project will see Brar play a biryani chef. “(My character) travels from India to Saudi Arabia where he opens a restaurant in his daughter’s name and then moves to England,” Brar tells us on his visit to hometown Lucknow.

He says the project reflects a larger shift he sees coming in the way food is portrayed on screen.

“Earlier, food (as a category) was limited to recipes. Then it became travel content, reality shows, some short films and social media reels. The food fiction space was vacant and fairly unexplored. But there are so many stories in our culture that revolve around food. In the coming times, I see a lot of stories being made around food. Ab asli food ki kahaniyan kahi jaayengi,” he tells us.

On the short film, he adds, “There is an 18-minute short film Rampher Ki Kulfi with two kulfiwallahs played by Sanjay Mishra and Sharib Hashmi in Old City of Lucknow. It is directed by Lucknow-based Archit D Rasstogi. I came on board as a presenter and it has been screened in various worldwide film festivals. I do feel food and fiction is the next step in content and the audience will also connect to it as we all relate to such stories.”

It was most recently screened at the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026) in June and will next travel to International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA), Toronto. The film also stars Bhawana Pandey.

Brar recalls that some food-stories based Indian films like Bawarchi (1973), The Lunchbox (2013), Daawat-e-Ishq (2014) and Chef (2017) have been made but they are far and few.

“I am encouraging young writers and makers to come up with content related to food storytelling which I will love to associate and produce. I am already working on this front as we stories all around us – they just need to be tapped in short or long story-telling format,” he says.

Apart from his films, Brar is also gearing up for his next book and a reality show. “My book is on tandoor cooking and it has gone in print. I have also shot a celebrity reality show Yess Chef for YouTube, and we are gearing up for the next season of MasterChef India which will go on floors probably in December,” he ends.

Actor Sharib Hashmi has opened up about his wife Nasreen Hashmi’s cancer relapsing for the sixth time, sharing that the family is trying to remain positive despite the difficult phase. Diagnosed with mouth cancer in 2018, Nasreen had undergone five surgeries and was in remission since September 2024 before the disease returned earlier this year. It has now reportedly spread to her lungs, bones, and areas near the heart and liver.

“I am just trying to keep my mind in a positive frame, otherwise it will become very difficult for me to deal with. The treatment is underway and thankfully she is responding positively. My wife is a big fighter and seeing her spirit gives us hope too,” Sharib says.

The actor shares that the family initially mistook her prolonged cough for an AQI-related issue before doctors detected a blister in her mouth and advised further tests, including a biopsy and PET scan, which confirmed the relapse. Nasreen is currently undergoing immunotherapy and chemotherapy, while surgery is no longer considered an option due to the extent of the cancer spread.

Sharib also admits the treatment has brought severe financial strain. “I need more work so that I can afford to pay my wife’s medical bills as even my insurance can’t cover the amount this treatment costs,” he says, adding that he is currently focused more on quantity of work than quality. He also revealed that the family may have to opt for targeted therapy after the current treatment plan, which is expected to be even more expensive.

There’s something audacious about making people laugh while your body is at war with itself. Tannishtha Chatterjee knows this intimately. Midway through chemotherapy infusions last year, she’d ring up friends - musicians, actors, stand-up comedians - and turn the IV drip sessions into impromptu comedy hours. The laughter didn’t cure the cancer, but it made survival feel less like endurance and more like defiance.

Now, that instinct has crystallized into Breast Of Luck, a musical comedy playing at Mumbai’s G5A on 29 and 30 January. Written and performed by Tannishtha and Sharib Hashmi, directed by Leena Yadav, the play mines the darkest corridors of illness and emerges with something unexpected: joy.

Tannishtha, who revealed her Stage 4 oligometastatic cancer diagnosis in mid-2025, and Hashmi, whose wife Nasreen has survived oral cancer five times, have turned their lived experience into theatre. And it’s not grief theatre. Or brave-face theatre. It’s comedy.

“I just wanted relief from the physical pain and also the emotional distress—the insecurity, the fears,” Tannishtha says. “I used to call my friends during the infusions. They were all musicians, actors, stand-up comedians. And we’d kid around about different aspects of it all.” The laughter, she says, wasn’t escapism, but survival architecture.

“I just felt that my treatment and that entire process became easier because we were laughing. The instinct, really, was to make something that eased the weight for us as artists, instead of adding to it. I have never done anything so personal. Actors always hide behind characters,” she admits.

“Here, also, I am playing a character. But it comes from a deeply personal space. And I had to allow myself to be vulnerable in front of audiences.”

The play, she’s quick to clarify, isn’t a sob story with a punchline. “It’s a more universal language of how love heals and how love and companionship can make you go through the toughest times of your lives.”

She pauses, then adds with quiet force: “The overwhelming support from my friends and family is the reason I am standing here today; less than a year later, singing, dancing, and even laughing at my own journey. Ultimately, this is more than just my experience—it is a universal love story.”

Hashmi, who co-wrote the play, knows the terrain from a different vantage point. Years of caregiving have taught him that tragedy and comedy aren’t opposites—they’re neighbours. “On stage, everything both can be equally difficult,” he says. The play braids experiences together.

“We’ve used both of our experiences—Tannishtha’s as a cancer survivor and my experience of caregiving. So we’ve lent all our personal experiences into the story.”

Theatre, with its unforgiving immediacy, raises the stakes. “If you’re performing badly, then you’ll see the results immediately,” he says. “I think telling the story on stage is going to be really, really exciting and amazing for both of us. And at the same time, it’s very challenging as well. And I hope we succeed in conveying what we want to.”

Director Leena Yadav speaks with the kind of admiration reserved for people who’ve earned it the hard way. “Both these actors are super brave for sharing and bringing this kind of honesty to the work. I think it takes a lot of courage to do that. And then to present it with a sense of humour — that takes something truly special.”

Does humour trivialize pain though? Yadav doesn’t think so. “It’s written by them, right? It is represented by them. It’s lived by them. It can’t be trivialized.” Comedy, she argues, does something practical. “One of the aims of doing this is also to normalize cancer conversations. And I think humour is something that makes everything so much easier to listen to, and to take in.”

What the play ultimately underlines, Yadav says, isn’t illness at all. “It underscores the value of people who stand by you, of the people who make situations easier to bear simply by being with you in the truest sense.”

Actor Tannishtha Chatterjee, on Sunday, revealed on Instagram that she was diagnosed with stage-4 oligometastatic cancer in January. Speaking about her health to us, Tannishtha emphasizes the unpredictability of such an illness: “I feel these things don’t have any reasons. I always had a very healthy way of living and taking care of my fit self. None of us can predict or prepare. I guess when it happens you have to deal with it.”

Recalling how after a routine check-up, doctors delivered the difficult news, the 44-year-old shares, “I remember after the check-up when it was diagnosed, my doctors said, ‘This is bad, as it has spread and is in an advanced stage.’ His words didn’t sink in at first; they left me devastated.”

The news also shocked her loved ones. “My family and friends were left baffled, and it was a setback for me. Then began a journey full of questions,” she says, adding, “The last eight months have been tough, not just the treatments, but also dealing with issues like insurance, which aren’t easy to handle.”

However, just days into treatment, Tannishtha found the strength to fight back. “I have learnt so much in this journey. Life is bigger than our stresses. With a nine-year-old daughter and an ailing mother, I had to say, ‘Bring it on’. In just 15 days, I became fearless and hopeful; even chemo couldn’t break me.”

The actor is nearing the end of her treatment, and hoping for a cancer-free future with regular check-ups ahead. She then plans to return to acting and is currently writing a play, which she will present with her friend actor Sharib Hashmi. “In October-November we will start rehearsals as well. So in January next year, when it will be one year since the diagnosis, I will bounce back and go back on stage after 10 years from my last play. Life does come full circle,” she says.

Tannishtha Chatterjee is quite a warrior. The filmmaker and actress has been quietly battling stage 4 oligometastatic cancer, and had the persistence to complete a film after her diagnosis and amid her chemotherapy sessions. Written and directed by Tannishtha, Full Plate, a lighthearted, slice-of-life take on social disparity and class commentary, will premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in September.

The film revolves around Amreen (Kirti Kulhari), a talented cook, housewife and mother of three, and how she must navigate unfamiliar vegan cuisine and class divides after her husband’s accident forces her to find work. The film also stars Monica Dogra, Sharib Hashmi, and Indraneil Sengupta in pivotal roles.

Tannishtha told us, “The shoot was done before I was diagnosed but we completed the post production after my diagnosis. I got back to working on the film after my second chemotherapy session and while it was tough, the film was a welcome distraction for me and it touches upon a relevant topic. My cast and I will be attending the premiere at Busan, we are thrilled.”

The actress wants to own her battles instead of concealing them and won’t be wearing a wig on the red carpet. “I am going to sport this bald look on the red carpet,” she concluded.

Tannishtha Chatterjee opens up on battling stage IV breast cancer, inset with Sharib Hashmi

Actor-director and single mother, Tannishtha Chatterjee, is a warrior at heart. Just recovering from the loss of her father to cancer last year, the actress was devastated when she was diagnosed with metastatic (stage IV) breast cancer four months ago. All of this in the middle of a film she was making.

While Tannishtha is positive about conquering yet another hurdle, the thought of having to continuously put up a fight has drained her.

“For the first time, I am tired of being strong. Last year, I lost my father to cancer. I had no time to grieve because I had the responsibility of my mother, who is 70 and my daughter, who is 9. I had to be strong for them. Within five days of losing my dad, I was back on set of my film Ek Ruka Hua Faisla. I didn’t know what I was doing. I listened to his favourite songs and reminded myself that I need to carry on. I believe all of this can take a toll on your health. After I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, I thought… Why me? Is it karma? I was devastated. Friends, spirituality and yoga are helping me to cope with it,” she says, adding, “The disease is at an advanced stage, but the doctors have given me the confidence to believe that I will be okay. I have undergone six chemotherapy sessions. I am not vain, but when you face excessive hairfall, weight loss, eyebrow thinning, it takes a toll on you.”

Stressing on precautionary measures, Tannishtha shares, “I was extremely proud that I had never faced any health issues before. In fact, I was arrogant because I was healthy. I believed nothing would ever happen to me. My dad was super fit and never went to a doctor until he was diagnosed with Leukaemia. The point I am making here is that you should never take your health for granted, no matter how fit you are. I would advise women over the age of 40 to undergo mammography as early detection can be beneficial. I made a mistake. I thought I was an exception, but it can hit anyone.”

One of the toughest decisions for the actress, who is a single mom, was sending her little daughter to the US to live with her sister.

The actress says, “My daughter thinks I am a superwoman, and I want her to continue believing that. Some people believe kids should be told everything, but I wanted to protect her. That’s what parents do. As adults, we go through grief, but I didn’t want her childhood to be consumed by grief. She didn’t want to go to the US, but I didn’t want her to see me like this. I didn’t want her to feel insecure about her future and wanted her to know that she has people who will take care of her and love her.”

Sharib Hashmi, whose wife has been an oral cancer survivor, visited Tannishtha at the hospital. Tannishtha says, “We got talking and decided we can collaborate on a live performance which will touch upon cancer awareness, but not in a dark or depressing way. It will have music and will be semi-biographical. It will show how humour and good friends can help you sail through any crisis.”

It was Tannishtha’s US-based sister who told her that it’s okay to reach out for help. “When I started my treatment, the doctors said, you need a friend or family to sign the papers. I was crying because my mother or child couldn’t do it. My sister told me, ‘It’s okay to not be strong or not be in charge. Please reach out to your friends’.”

Apparently, her group of close friends, comprising Shabana Azmi, Richa Chadha, Konkona Sen Sharma, Vidya Balan, Divya Dutta, Urmila Matondkar and Dia Mirza, has been her pillar of support. They accompanied her to her chemo sessions and never left her alone.

On a concluding note, Tannishtha says, “Everything has fallen apart in my life, but I am not broken.

I don’t feel negative. The biggest takeaway of my ordeal is humanity. People care; you just need to reach out to them.”

The ongoing year would certainly be a definitive one for actor Sharib Hashmi, who bagged the opportunity to play the leading role in a web series. Considering the slate of diverse projects he has in his kitty, the upcoming year is only likely to get better for the actor.

Sharing insights about his line-up, he tells mid-day, “People saw me as a supportive husband in Tarla last year. If I played a ‘green-flag husband’ in that film, I will play a role that will be the opposite of that in an upcoming movie. I also have a slapstick comedy on my plate, and another project in which I play a role that is intense and serious. It’s a mixed bag of characters for me in 2025.” Hashmi also has the Manoj Bajpayee-led The Family Man season three in the pipeline.

Pick up a discussion on his next venture, Manish Malhotra’s production, Ul Jalool Ishq, and Hashmi’s eyes light up. “Bagging this film has been my biggest achievement of 2024,” he says of the movie that has him share screen space with Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

“Most of my scenes are with Naseeruddin sir. I would just look at him in admiration. It was such a beautiful experience. I hope I get to work with him again. Simply watching him perform gave me so much joy. He is lovely and wonderful.”

The moments when Shah would share anecdotes from his past offerings were special for Hashmi. “One day, I asked him, ‘Sir, you had recited a nazm in Firaaq.’ And he went on to recite the full poem for me. At this stature, people would generally reply [in acknowledgement]. But here, he completed the poem. He still has a childlike quality and humility associated with him, as well as passion for his work.”

While spin-offs have been around for a long time, superhero franchises and fantasy series have recently popularized the idea of giving fan-favourite characters their own spotlight, especially on OTT platforms. The offshoot plotlines of these characters, who would otherwise get minimal screen time in big-budget blockbusters, successfully allow makers to not only satisfy the audience but also utilise world-building. Some of the popular examples of spin-off series, which already have multiple seasons in the pipeline, include Gen V (The Boys), House Of The Dragon (Game of Thrones) and The Rings Of Power (Lord of the Rings).

Even though such offshoot productions, whether as films or shows, are all the rage in the West among the makers, the trend is yet to gain momentum in India. To understand more, we speak to some Indian makers and actors for their take on its surprising absence in India, along with pros and cons of the same.

A project includes a specific number of characters, each with a unique role to play. For actor Gulshan Devaiah, who plays Chaar Cut Atmaram in the series Guns & Gulaabs, not everyone’s story needs to be highlighted in a separate spin-off, as that might take away from the original plot.

“I have no idea why we’re not doing spin-offs but I’m not sure if it’s a good trend to follow. In my case, I’d say there shouldn’t be any spin-off for Atmaram. Some characters lose their charm if there’s no mystery to them,” Devaiah shares.

Actor Sharib Hashmi, who plays JK in The Family Man series, echoes a similar sentiment and feels that spin-offs shouldn’t be made just so that the original project remains relevant. “It should only be made if there is ample scope, and should not be seen as a mere opportunity to earn money or stay relevant.” However, Hashmi is not altogether against the idea.

He continues, “I would be the happiest if my character gets a spin-off but only if there is a good story. Look at Better Call Saul (Breaking Bad), which had such a brilliant storyline, and is as good as the original.”

While original plots might leave very little room for detours, for Kanishk Varma, director of Sanak (2021) and the third season of the cricket-based thriller Inside Edge, a spin-off is a great way to immerse in the universe whose original story has reached a certain finale.

“You have to know when to throw in the towel. You cannot keep on dragging a story. So, spin-offs are a very cool idea of coming back. You have a scope of going back to a series and working on something you wanted to do in a particular season of the show.”

While offshoot productions are lacking in India, writer Kanika Dhillon, who has been behind the story of Hasseen Dillruba (2021) and the latest instalment, Phir Aayi Hasseen Dillruba, opines that we are soon going to catch up.

“We have already caught on to the multi-universe sequel culture, which is prevalent in Hollywood. So, I am sure spin-offs will become a thing here as well, especially since people give a lot of love to [side] characters,” she shares.

Abhishek Banerjee, whose character Hathoda Tyagi from the series Paatal Lok fetched him critical praise, adds, “A lot of characters have the potential [for a spin-off] after they become a hit with the audiences. So, I feel the audiences would definitely want that change.”

He might have got recognition with the web show The Family Man (TFM) but actor Sharib Hashmi has a deep-rooted passion for theatre. He recently announced that he will be collaborating with TFM co-star Sunny Hinduja for a play. Keeping most of the details under wrap as they are working out the finer details, Hashmi reveals that it will be a two-man play and that both of them will be involved in all aspects of the play.

The 48-year-old is quite “excited and nervous” to be returning to theatre. He adds, “Actors move from theatre to films, but I am working in reverse. I don’t have any theatre training but Gopal (Dutt; co-star Filmistaan; 2012) used to tell me, ‘Tu theatre ka banda hai’. When he was in a play, he gave me two roles in it. There is a sense of freedom in theatre as it is an actor’s medium; there is a different satisfaction. Yet cinema is my first love,” he quips.

Recognised as a ‘character actor’, ask if the label bothers him and he replies, “If I’m happy with my work, then I don’t care about labels. These aren’t terms created by the industry, it’s the laymen who use it. When I meet someone and they tell me, ‘Aapne bahut acha kaam kiya tha us film mein jisme aap side mein the’. I don’t feel bad. The genuineness of their love is enough. It was my most difficult and best decision to leave my job and pursue acting. I struggled a lot, but it all paid off eventually.”

The Tarla (2023) and Asur actor admits that being a supporting actor has brought a bit of judgement against him in public eye. He recalls, “I have faced tough times. After Filmistaan, when I was having a dull phase in career, main screenings pe jaata tha aur log poochte bhi nahi the mujhe. Main aise hi guzar jata tha aur koi tasveerein nahi kheechi jati thi.”

Yet, he doesn’t get bogged down by them. “I don’t take them to heart because nothing remains constant.”

A public service ad on cervical cancer starring actor Sharib Hashmi from two years ago began trending again following model-actor Poonam Pandey’s death hoax recently.

“I thought I should just let my ad do the talking. I felt this was the perfect time to reshare the video. It’s great that people are liking it,” says the writer-actor, pointing out that there’s always a correct way to spread awareness for a cause.

The Family Man actor agrees that sometimes, the intention is right, but the way people spread awareness for a cause is incorrect. “That’s when, more than anger, I felt uneasiness and pity,” notes the 48-year-old about the stunt that saw Pandey put out an Instagram post on Friday, announcing her death from cervical cancer.

The actor, who has featured in The Great Indian Murder and Asur, goes on to reveal that he did the ad for his wife Nasreen, who is an oral cancer survivor: “I did this ad for her. She was diagnosed in 2018. Though it relapsed four times, she’s been cancer-free since April 2022. She’s a very strong woman.”

Hashmi says that while nobody needs a reason to support a cause, like he did — better discretion on social media is the need of the hour. “Celebs who have a huge following also have a bigger responsibility. They must use social media wisely for this purpose,” he explains, adding, “If I’m connecting with the cause and people associated with the advertisement, I always agree to do it.”

That too much of anything is bad, applies also to the deluge of digital content that came our way post the OTT boom in India, more so in the period following the pandemic. Earlier this year, according to a study by Accenture, 77% consumers in India admitted feeling overwhelmed by the number of streaming services to choose from. Additionally, 41% unsubscribed from at least one of the top five OTT platforms. With new shows and films dropping almost every week — the question is: could this explosion of content cause quality to suffer at the hands of quantity?

The Family Man and Scam 1992 actor Sharib Hashmi agrees. “This was bound to happen. We need to keep a check on the quality or else we’re going to dig our own grave. People take 10 minutes to discard content if they don’t like it because there are a thousand other shows and films to watch,” says Hashmi.

Echoing similar sentiments is Aarya and Monica O My Darling actor Sikandar Kher. He notes, “Quality and quantity have been such a subject of discussion over the world. You go to the West or anywhere — I’m sure tonnes of projects are being made, and not all of them will be of quality.”

India’s growing OTT base (353 million to 424 million; as per an Ormax report from 2022-end), signalling that demand exists, must be taken with a pinch of salt. With lavish promotional strategies and budgets to mount projects on, quality content — of the kind that once kicked off the OTT revolution — may not stand a chance.

Expressing this worry, actor Sunny Hinduja says, “Earlier, with fewer options, good shows got more attention. Now, there’s so much content that good stuff might go unnoticed if it’s not promoted well or doesn’t have famous people,” he says.

However, actor Pankaj Tripathi, the headlining star of one of India’s OG web series, Mirzapur, brushes off that fear: “Log dekh lenge. They decide within minutes what they like or don’t. Woh itne sab mein se achcha dhoondh lenge. Aur aisa nahin hai ki promote nahin hua toh log nahin dekhenge.”

Indeed, shows sans any big names have suddenly started finding themselves in limelight. It happened with Scam 1992 in 2020 and Kohrra has received similar acclaim since its release in July.

Actor Harman Baweja, who surprised everyone with his turn in Scoop this year, says that he has always believed good content can never get “buried”.

“Be it less promotions, lesser-known platforms or even lesser-known actors. Eventually, good content will always rise to the top. OTT gives opportunities to so much more talent, because, typically on the big screen, one looks at film economics, which work very differently,” he opines.

Rasika Dugal explained, “OTT is a thriving, competitive space. Every month, there is a new show, with new actors and directors. That, to me, is a sign of change. I think it’s a positive environment. It’s nice to see different genres.”

Sharib Hashmi continues his pursuit for different roles. Only a month after playing a supportive husband in Tarla, the actor will now be seen as a social activist in the upcoming web series, The Ghost Of Gandhi. The drama, helmed by Manish Kishore, will mark the OTT debut of Jai Ho (2014) actor Daisy Shah. The director says that through the web series, he wants to remind viewers of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

“In the show, we are bringing back Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophies and how they can [be applied] to make India a better nation. While in Lage Raho Munna Bhai [2006], Gandhiji was visible only to Munna Bhai, here his ghost is visible to every corrupt human being. I cast Sharib and Daisy as they connected to the script immediately. People who cannot resonate with the show’s ideology may not be able to deliver what I want,” says Kishore.

The series went on floors last month in Mumbai. Before that, the director conducted 14-day workshops with Hashmi and Shah, who plays a journalist. What drew Hashmi to the project, he says, are the premise and his character. “How my character collates all the stories about Gandhi-ji’s ghost [and takes them] to the media are elements that I found attractive about the series. It’s an interesting take on today’s times,” explains the actor.

What’s common among Shahid Kapoor-starrer Bloody Daddy, Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Bawaal and Blind, featuring Sonam Kapoor Ahuja? Its makers ditched a big screen release and took the direct-to-OTT route. Amid the supposed resurgence of the box office, looks like makers consider the web a safer bet to release films.

The box-office performance of Indian films has marginally dipped, though Hindi movies have shown improvement, according to Ormax Media’s bi-annual report. Could this be a reason for the increase in the number of web-first releases?

Trade expert Atul Mohan says, “Makers feel going to OTT is a safer bet and streaming platforms also want big names, to get subscribers. When makers sense a film will not work, they strike a deal with a streaming platform and also save money on marketing. If the budget of a film is Rs. 65 crore, they usually spend Rs. 10-15 crore on promotions.”

According to Manish Kalra, chief business officer at ZEE5 India, the trend has a lot to do with the creative freedom the web offers: “From Salman Khan’s Radhe (2021) to recent hits Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai (starring Manoj Bajpayee) and Tarla (featuring Huma Qureshi and Sharib Hashmi), the [web] space provides creators a platform to connect with the audience, map preferences and bring stories with more compelling narratives.”

Trade expert Taran Adarsh feels what’s meant for the big screen should head there: “For instance, in the case of Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, a lot of people said it is meant for OTT and that it will not make even Rs. 10 crore at the box office. But, it has made close to Rs. 90 crore, all because the producer took a big risk and released it in theatres. Makers should never underestimate the power of good cinema.”

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Whoever has put in money [in a film] should benefit, irrespective of the medium of release. I’d want all my films to be released on the big screen, but I understand the commercial aspect. So, as long as it is benefiting everybody and reaches viewers, I don’t mind where they (his films) release.

- Sharib Hashmi, actor

Producers are looking at the OTT space as a safer bet over the big screen. And that is fine. As long as a film is released somewhere... Kahin na aaye, usse better kahin toh release ho!

- Anees Bazmee, director

Tarla will always hold pride of place in Sharib Hashmi’s filmography. The actor, who plays the male lead in the biopic on famous home-chef and cookbook author Tarla Dalal, has waited for the past 15 years to headline a mainstream film.

“When you play the lead role opposite a mainstream heroine, people look at you differently,” he smiles. Essaying the role of the quiet Nalin Dalal—who puts his ambition on hold to support his wife Tarla, essayed by Huma Qureshi—came easy to the actor. “When I began working on the character, I realised he is an extension of me,” shares Hashmi.

From starring alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) in the early years of his career to now leading the ZEE5 film, Hashmi has had a long journey, complete with highs and lows. The Family Man became a game-changer for him, as he starred as an undercover agent alongside Manoj Bajpayee. 

Reflecting on his long run, the actor says, “I was told that I am not the right fit for a hero. But more than that, what hurt me was that even after doing Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Filmistaan [2012], I wasn’t getting the kind of work I had expected. Some good films would get off the ground, but eventually get shelved. Then came a time when I would be told to pick whatever was coming my way. People would say, ‘Do this, it’s important to be seen, and there is good money.’”

Now, his plate is full with projects that he believes in— from The Diplomat with John Abraham, to a Sony LIV web series. He adds, “Hopefully, I will be back on the set of The Family Man 3 soon.”

Even before director Piyush Gupta finished narrating the script of Tarla, Sharib Hashmi knew his answer. The actor was, in fact, scared that the debutant director might approach someone else if he took time to say yes. He laughs, “I fell on his feet and said, ‘Bhai, don’t look elsewhere.’”

In renowned home-chef and cookbook author Tarla Dalal’s biopic, led by Huma Qureshi, Hashmi plays the protagonist’s husband Nalin Dalal. Essaying a real-life personality comes with its challenges, but he says the ZEE5 film’s screenplay made his job easier. Couple that with his middle-class background, and the role fit him like a glove.

“I belong to a middle-class family, so I could relate to Nalin. I am also a family man. So, I put my personal experiences into playing him. If I weren’t a father in real life, I might not have understood Nalin as well,” he says.

The experience became richer thanks to his co-star Qureshi. Taken by her generosity as a co-actor, Hashmi says, “Huma is a fantastic actor. There were times when she went out of her way to accommodate me. If I wanted to do a scene a certain way, she would never say no. There were so many night shoots, but Huma never said, ‘This is Sharib’s close-up. I am not needed.’”

Their pairing may be unconventional by industry standards, but is receiving positive response from the audience. Thrilled to play the male lead, he says, “I have played a lead earlier too, in Filmistaan [2012]. But the day Tarla’s trailer dropped online, my best friend called and said, ‘Arey, tu toh hero ban gaya!’”

Mishra adds, “I come from the parallel cinema [era] when we were considered a viral infection. Today, I feel that there are younger actors who are far more genuinely appreciative of the films I make. Whether they work in my film or not is another thing.”

Sinha and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the protagonist of Afwaah

Mishra with actor Bhumi Pednekar, who plays a political heiress

If you ask Sharib Hashmi, he’ll tell you patience and self-belief are key to surviving in this industry. They saw him going from bit roles in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Batti Gul Meter Chalu (2018), to prominent parts in The Family Man and now, Afwaah. In fact, when it comes to a film as powerful as Sudhir Mishra’s directorial venture, he says you need more than patience.

“It’s very difficult to come across such scripts. [You get them] only if your stars are rightly aligned,” Hashmi smiles.

With Afwaah, the actor ticked several boxes off his wish list — be it telling an urgent story about the menace of misinformation, or working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bhumi Pednekar. Hashmi though was sold on the idea of working with Mishra.

“I’ve been a big fan of Sudhir sir’s films. Just to be a part of his world was enough reason for me to sign this film. He [guided me] by way of the inputs he gave when we were shooting, or the way he described my character. He gave us a free hand. He’d put the scenario in front of us, and let us be.”

Things have been looking up for the actor since The Family Man. “Everything that I am right now is because of the show. People’s perception changed after it. I had thought I’d only get to play the hero’s friend after that. But fortunately, I’m offered a variety of roles.”

When we sit down for a meal or to unwind, one of the first things we tend to do is pick out a web show to watch on our phone. As a result of this growing popularity of streaming platforms these days, there has been a dip in people’s attention span too, feels actor Sharib Hashmi.

“Log paanch minute mein hi decide kar lete hain [if a show is good or bad]. Today, no one will spend two hours watching bad content,” he says.

This, in turn, has made the web space more competitive. “There is more pressure to deliver good content; that’s your primary responsibility on OTT. There’s a treasure of content here. If you want to shine, you have to be excellent,” says the 47-year-old, who was recently seen in the film Mission Majnu.

Having done a host of OTT projects, including Scam 1992, The Family Man and Asur, Hashmi is a fan of the transparency the web offers. “The only thing that matters is word of mouth. I saw that with all my projects. Scam released with less publicity, the platform was not even that popular back then. But, the show was a huge success. If the product is good, you don’t even need to promote it. Word of mouth makes people come sniffing. The response is also immediate,” he reasons.

Does this make social media equally vital, to gauge whether or not a project is successful? “Yes, we are dependent on social media,” he says, adding, “With the web, it’s not as if you have purchased a ticket. When you go to watch a film in a cinema hall, people tend to stick around at least till the interval, probably because they feel they have paid and need to get their money’s worth. But on OTT, if they don’t like something, das minute mein move on kar jaate hain.”

Though Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Vikram Vedha (2022) didn’t manage to earn the expected numbers at the box office, Sharib Hashmi feels the project benefitted his career. The actor, who played the antagonist in the Pushkar–Gayathri directorial, feels the movie helped him with an image makeover.

“I was overwhelmed with the response my character Babloo bhaiya got. Mehnat ki thi iss film pe. Pehli baar aisa kirdaar play kar raha tha. The directors really worked hard on my character,” he says.

The Family Man actor adds, “Vikram Vedha was a win-win for me. I played a supporting role, but I got appreciation messages from many people from the industry. Even though it was commercially unsuccessful, mere liye Vikram Vedha bahut badi success thi.”

Addressing the disappointing box-office numbers, the 46-year-old says they were “a mystery” for the team, too. “It had all the right things — Hrithik Roshan, Saif Ali Khan, comedy, action… When a film doesn’t perform as per expectations, it is saddening. It’s a different thing to be associated with a film that works, because one benefits from it. For example, in Scam 1992, I just had one scene and it got appreciation. I am only seen in the beginning, but even then people remember me,” he ends.