There is skewed negative perception of Bollywood due to social media: Emraan Hashmi

Mumbai: Bollywood may have become a victim of negative perception due to some “devious sharks” but there are good people in the industry as well, says actor Emraan Hashmi.

Hashmi is all set to play the role of a producer and a studio head in the upcoming Dinsey+Hotstar series, Showtime, which, the actor said, does not stick to a cookie-cutter template about the industry.

“The story is the fulcrum of these characters and then seeing this crazy world of Bollywood or the film industry. But the outside perception could be tainted for a few people. It has skewed negative perceptions about the industry because of the trends that have come out of social media in the last few years,” Hashmi told PTI in an interview.

According to Hashmi, known for movies such as Footpath, Murder, Once Upon a Time in… Mumbai, The Dirty Picture and Shanghai, like any other industry, Bollywood has ‘good and bad aspects’.

“It’s like any industry where a few bad apples might make the industry seem like it’s bad, but you have these kinds of devious sharks in the industry, and you also have good people, but everyone is struggling with their problems in life,” Hashmi added.

The show will let the audiences in on what goes behind the multi-million-dollar industry, the nepotism debate, and the power struggles at the top, he said.

“We are not trying to show the world what we are not. It’s not a cookie cutter thing that we are just trying to show a particular facet of the industry,” he said.

The 44-year-old actor, who has been in the film business for more than two decades, said when he started out, he also had the perception that the industry would be ‘very cutthroat and unfair’.

“When I started, I was all of 20, so I just had this perception. At that time, there was no social media so there was not much in the public domain. There were a few magazines in which interviews of stars would be published so while growing up, there was no such perception about the industry. Whatever I’ve learned about the industry was along the way.” Hashmi, nephew of filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt said his family asked him not to take the career for granted and to be on his toes.

“The reason I knew it was cutthroat is because my family told me that don’t take it for granted, don’t take it easy either, and that I have to be on my toes. You have to constantly push yourself and work hard, then there is an audience that has to take to you (acceptance) and there is also a matter of luck,” he said.

“I completed 20 years, I think it’s not unfair and ultimately it all comes down to just the function of work and the effort you put in and finally you will reap the benefits. Sometimes you achieve success initially, sometimes it would be delayed but if you keep pushing yourself you will eventually be successful,” he added.

The Tiger 3 star believes the key to sustain in the industry is that one has to constantly reinvent and understand the consumption pattern of the audiences.

“You have to have a new bag of skill sets and up your game. That is what I have been trying to do,” Hashmi said.

Showtime, produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment, also stars Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy, Naseeruddin Shah, Rajeev Khandelwal, and Shriya Saran.

The series is created by Sumit Roy and showrunner Mihir Desai. Desai also serves as a director along with Archit Kumar. The show will premiere on March 8.