In his six year long career so far, Emraan Hashmi has given quite a few hits at the box office. Still with each release of his, he has been required to answer his critics and prove his detractors wrong.
In the meanwhile, he has continued to earn a loyal fan base for himself which started from B and C centers, reached the single screen audiences and has now finally seen even multiplex audience warming up to his popularity and screen presence, something that has been witnessed in Awarapan, Jannat and now Raaz - The Mystery Continues.
"You tell me, for how long do I have to continue to prove to the world about my presence in the industry", questions Emraan Hashmi who is experimenting with his roles and look in each of his films, "Between Gangster and Awarapan, there was a phase in my career when there wasn't much happening my career.
My films were not working and it was actually a harrowing phase. This is when I made a conscious call to reinvent myself."
And reinvent he did with Awarapan that brought him together with Mohit Suri, his friend and director with whom he had grown up since childhood and also worked with in Zeher and Kalyug.
"It was heartbreaking to see Awarapan not working. It may sound clich�d but I gave my heart, body and soul to the film. Those who saw the film loved it but then destiny had other plans.
It didn't work commercially at the box office but for my standing as an actor, it really benefited a lot. Finally, it seemed that the industry had started taking me seriously", remembers Emraan.
It was a one year long wait before Jannat released in 2007. The movie took a bumper opening at the box office and the floodgates opened for Emraan Hashmi who saw his biggest opening film till then.
"I have somehow stuck to my stand of doing only solo films, until and unless something exceptional comes up, and though it is big risk, it also translates into big benefits", says Emraan.
Though the success of Jannat was a huge shot in the arm for Emraan Hashmi, cynics were still not willing to give Emraan his due by calling the film's success a fluke.
"You can't help that, can you", asks Emraan Hashmi who is still doing majority of films with Bhatts, "I know for sure where my fan base resides and as long as they are happy, my producers are happy, I am getting my market price, heroines are willing to work with him and my wife isn't questioning me every morning if I would kiss for camera or not, I am happy", winks Emraan!
Nevertheless, his wife Parveen would certainly not have any questions for Emraan after the release of Raaz - The Mystery Continues and there are two reasons for that - a) The film has taken the biggest ever opening for an Emraan Hashmi starrer and b) It is Adhyayan Suman and not Emraan Hashmi who locks lips with Kangna.
Laughs Emraan, "Well, the film has worked even without a kiss from me so I guess the jinx is finally broken."
He adds on a serious note, "At least now do I have the right to feel successful? This is my second straight film that has taken a solid opening.
Even otherwise, I have constantly delivered successful films during last 6 years - Murder, Zeher, Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Kalyug, Aksar, Gangster, Jannat and now Raaz - The Mystery Continues. Agar kuch logon ko yeh ek long successful winning streak nahi lagti toh I can't help it. And actually, I don't care."
Some distributors have even gone to the extent of billing him as mini-Akshay Kumar in the making; someone who can guarantee a solid opening with every release of his.
"Arrey yaar don't get me into that trap. I am not commenting anything on this. Akshay has been around for close to two decades and done a lot in his career. Still, you can't say much for the audience. We just saw what happened to Chandni Chowk To China", he says with caution.
"Yes, what I am confident though is that I would continue to choose the best of the scripts coming my way. I won't let down my audience; that's a promise.
After that it is all destiny and luck", he signs off as he continues to make rounds across the country promoting Raaz - The Mystery Continues which is now all set to surpass the business of his last success Jannat and hence turn out to be the biggest money spinner of his career.
LUCK BY CHANCE taps almost every important facet of Bollywood and presents assorted characters you've encountered some time in life: An over-ambitious aspirant who knows to make the right moves; an actress trying hard to get that big break, even if she has to compromise; an icon of the 1970s who desperately wants her daughter to be a star; a producer who looks at riding on big names, script be damned; a failed actor now looking at direction to redeem his career.
LUCK BY CHANCE picks up characters straight out of life and that's the beauty of this script.
It easily ranks amongst her most accomplished works. Juhi Chawla is first-rate. Isha Sharwani does her part well. Sanjay Kapoor springs a surprise. He registers an impact. Aly Khan is perfect.
