Sharib Hashmi, who made his mark in ‘Filmistaan’, had put his early dreams and attempts at acting in a far corner of his mind. He even took up a well-paying job in Dubai but then suddenly cast it all aside to give films another shot, when he received an unexpected call to audition for Kiran Rao’s ‘Dhobi Ghat’.
He even bagged the role of Prateik’s elder brother but just as things looked they had fallen into place, he was informed that he wasn’t on after all, as his look didn’t match the role in ‘Dhobi Ghat’. Hashmi admits that he broke down and cried that fateful day, with the heart-breaking disappointment of it all and especially the lost opportunity of working with Aamir Khan.
This rejection, however, only spurred him on to chase his dreams with renewed vigour. Times weren’t easy – he admits that it was his wife who supported him all through, with the going getting so tough that he had to sell his house and car, even his wife’s jewellery, to make ends meet.
Incidentally it was the film ‘Rock On’! which he had watched around this time, that inspired in him the strength to pursue his goal. And the result was a role in ‘Jab Tak Hain Jaan’ and the real windfall that came in the form of ‘Filmistaan’.
The film, which portrayed the tense relations between India and Pakistan through a tale of two ordinary citizens, garnered applause and respect on the film festival circuit and at the box office as well. The upcoming ‘Badmashiyaan’, a full-fledged commercial entertainer, will see Sharib play a more mainstream character, with action and even dancing, to boot. He has his fingers crossed but somehow we get the feeling that whatever the fate of the film, this fine actor will be appreciated anyway!
