Sharib Hashmi talks about his film Mission Majnu

Actor Sharib Hashmi, in real life, is no different from his portrayal of Jayavant Kasinath Talpade aka JK in Family Man. Like JK, Sharib too has impeccable comic timing. The actor, who was last seen in
Vikram Vedha, has a few films and web series in his kitty, this year, including the much-awaited Mission Majnu, Sharma Ji Ki Beti, Shiv Shastri Balboa, Cancer, Afwaa and Tarla. We had a quick chat with the actor who is playing a RAW agent in the upcoming spy-thriller Mission Majnu, that also stars Sidharth Malhotra and Rashmika Mandanna.

How excited are you about the release?

Though I can’t disclose anything about my character right now, all I can say is that I am super excited, more so, because the film releases on my wife’s birthday. Also, Rashmika’s character is called Nasreen in this film, which is my wife’s name. These may be just mere coincidences, but hold a special place in my heart.

How was your prep for the character?

For the first time, so much effort has been given to create my look. The look has been curated with minute details. Also, the character I play has a Punjabi dialect, so, I had to put in a lot of effort to get that going. Our writer too helped me in getting that dialect right. Also, our director and I sat for hours and bounced off our ideas to ideate and develop the character.

How was your experience working with Rashmika and Sidharth?

Well, I didn’t have any scenes with Rashmika, but working with Sidharth was a great experience. We were supposed to work together in Shershaah as well, but my dates were clashing with the shoot of Family Man. I couldn’t be a part of Shershaah and I think I will regret it throughout my life. But finally, we could work together in Mission Majnu, and we had lots of fun.

You have been a writer for so many years and now, an actor. Which role inspires you the most?

It would be acting, always. Acting has been my first love since my childhood. But I took a lot of time
to pursue it. I started acting when I was turning 33. Until then I was writing for non-fiction content on music channels. But for my acting career, being a writer has been quite beneficial, in understanding
my characters and carving them, giving them the final touches that they need. It doesn’t mean that things have become easier but yes, it has been beneficial.

Do you feel it is because of OTT that films are not able to make profits in cinema halls?

Not at all! I believe it depends upon the content. Content is still the king that will decide whether people will watch a particular film or not.

Mission Majnu releases on January 20 on Netflix.