Interview – Sharib Ali Hashmi by Suhel Johar

“My Career As An Actor Can Be Divided Into Two Phases – Pre Filmistaan and Post Filmistaan” – Sharib Ali Hashmi

As a journalist I may have interviewed some of the biggest personalities of Bollywood in the past but no interview was as difficult as this one. For the simple reason that the interviewee happens to be my kid brother, Sharib Ali Hashmi. A self made actor who first made his presence felt in a bit role in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire and later in Yash Chopra’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan. And then came Nitin Kakkar’s Filmistaan, a film that made Bollywood as well as the general public acknowledge his immense talent as an actor. It was such a proud moment for me to see his performance in Filmistaan that at the end of the screening we both just hugged and cried over each other’s shoulders. Probably missing our late father, journalist  Z.A.Johar, who was no more there to share the significance of the occasion.

Anyway, Sharib has just had his latest film Phullu release today. The film has already made a few headlines for the issue that the film is based on. On the eve of its release had a little chat with him on the film and what follows is excerpts from that conversation.

 

Where did you disappear after Filmistaan?

I did not disappear anywhere. I was very much present in the industry doing independent movies. I worked on 5 films which are now at different stages of production. I wrote a film. I produced a film. Yes I was not in the media eye but I will try not to disappear this time.

 

You seem to be a firm believer in the adage Slow and Steady wins the race?

Well it’s not that I am in no hurry. I very much want things to speed up now. I want my films to release soon. So that people know what I was up to in the last couple of years.

How did Phullu happen to you?
Abhishek Saxena approached me in 2015 September with the script of Phullu. I was blown away with the concept and the way the script was written by Shaheen Iqbal.
I needed a female perspective on the script so I even made my wife read it. She loved the script too. And I immediately said yes to the film. We started shooting for it in April 2016 and now on the 16th June we are releasing the film.

What is the format of  Phullu?

Phullu is an emotional drama with a dose of humour, romance and a strong social message.

Were you sceptical about doing Phullu considering the fact it is based on such a taboo subject.?
That's exactly the reason why I did the film as it tries to break the taboo. We still cringe just hearing the word period as if it is some kind of a curse. Which it is not. It’s a natural process and every female goes through it every month. We put it under wraps all the time. Avoid talking about it amidst family members. Sanitary pads

How much do you identify with the titular character of Phullu?
Every character I play has a bit of Sharib Hashmi in it.  As far as the character of Phullu is concerned I would say I identify 40% with his character in real life. But I must mention that I am not as naive and innocent as Phullu is shown in the film.

What kind of preparation did you have to do to play Phullu in Phullu?

I had Shaheen Iqbal the writer of the film send me a recorded script of the film that had even the dialect of the character I played.  We also had a workshop with all the characters in the film.  Besides that I reached the location three days before we started filming and stayed in the same house which is my house in the film. All that helped me a lot in my preparation for the role.

 

From conceptual stage to when the final copy was out, how much has been your contribution to Phullu?
As an actor I did have a few suggestions which the writer and the director based on their merits gave a fair consideration to them and incorporated some of those suggestions in the film. I also helped in the casting of the main characters in the film. Being a low budget film we could not afford a casting director for the film so the team jointly decided on the cast. Moreover a film is always a team effort and everybody contributes to it in some way or the other and I just did my bit. You can I was involved with every stage of the film right from casting to filming to editing and the post production of the film.

How do you view the link up of Phullu with PadMan, has that in any way put you under any kind of pressure?

The link up has been unmotivated and totally out of place. PadMan is a biopic while Phullu is totally a work of fiction which is inspired from true events. It is a story that has been created by Shaheen Iqbal (writer ) and Abhishek Saxena (director). Both the films deal with the same issue and the similarity if any ends there. Our film was ready much before PadMan was announced. Fortunately for us our film is coming out first or else people may have said our film was a copy of PadMan. Since PadMan is a big budget film its reach will definitely be far wider and bigger than our film and that will help the cause of making a film on such a neglected and by far overlooked issue. Personally, I think even if there were five films made on this important issue it will help in generating an interest amongst the people on a wider scale.

Filmistaan seems still so fresh in the minds of the people. Do you think you have a load to carry?

My career as an actor can be divided into two phases – Pre Filmistaan and Post Filmistaan. The response I received for Filmistaan has been tremendous and very overwhelming. Even today I keep getting messages on the social network platforms for my performance in Filmistaan. That does add on your responsibilities as an actor and also makes you a little tense. I am aware there will be some expectations due to that and whenever that happens it becomes a little dicey to deal with that.  I just hope people appreciate my work in Phullu and come out in large numbers to support the cause by watching the film in theatres.

Do you think your being choosy about the films you want to do has slowed down your growth as an actor? In the sense that they may have limited your choice as an actor.

Since I’ve had no major release post Filmistaan a lot of people are under the impression that I am being choosy and waiting for my next big project. But the fact is that I have been working on quite a few films that are under various stages of production and post production. A couple of them have been completed too and are awaiting buyers to give them a proper release.

Considering the fact that you’ve had no formal training to be an actor? Do you think that’s an advantage or a disadvantage to you?
I really wish I had found my calling earlier in life. I started pursuing acting as a profession very late in life. So I didn’t go to any acting school. I don't know whether it’s an advantage or a disadvantage... but yes I miss going to a film school or an Acting school .. because when you be in that environment 24 x 7 it does help you a great deal .. the experience itself makes you richer as an artiste.

What do you think acting is all about - Is acting an art or craft for you?

I'll try to answer this differently. Acting for me is entertainment/ escapism . It’s like watching a film. When you watch a film you forget all your personal problems and gets sucked into the world, the film is showing you.  Similarly when I act I forget who I really am. And while I am in front of the camera, I am only thinking about the character and not Sharib.

What are the kinds of films you want to do?

I want to do all kinds of films and roles. I don’t want to restrict myself to doing any specific genre of films or roles. Negative role or comedy or serious roles I am open to all. I just look for meaty substantial characters. If I were not Phullu and was offered the character Inaam Ul Haque has played in the film I would have gladly taken it up. My dream is to do at least one film in all the regional languages that films are made in India,