The last time Sharib Hashmi impressed his audience was with the portrayal of an intelligence officer JK Talpade on the Amazon Prime web series The Family Man. Sharib’s character was the aide to Manoj Bajpayee’s Srikant Tiwari. Now, the actor will be seen in a new independent film, titled My Client‘s Wife, that releases today on the OTT platform Shemaroo Box Office.
Sharib is among those dependable actors in the Hindi film industry who have strived towards keeping independent cinema alive. With My Client’s Wife, the actor once again features in a new-age indie movie. The actor plays a lawyer named Manas Verma who is defending Raghuram Singh, an accused in a domestic violence case. But as Manas keeps on investigating, he uncovers some startling truths about Raghuram’s wife. The trailer of the film doesn’t reveal much, instead, it leaves the audience perplexed. “I think that’s how a trailer should be. It shouldn’t reveal too much about the film. But I can tell you that this film has a very unique approach to storytelling. It’s best described as having the Rashomon effect — there are many layers to it,” explains Sharib.
My Client’s Wife was ready a few years ago but due to distribution issues, it didn’t get a theatrical release. The OTT space has given it a platform and with the mystery-thriller genre being so popular, the film could be received with curiosity. “The OTT platform has revived my career,” says Sharib, who played the lead in the National Award-winning film Filmistaan that released in 2014. “People recognised me for my role in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012). After that, my only claim to fame was Filmistaan,” he says. The film was a huge success in India and at international film festivals. The actor signed and worked in many movies after Filmistaan, but just a few were released.
“People had forgotten me until The Family Man started streaming,” he says candidly. Despite the highs and lows, Sharib hasn’t quit what he loves the most. Be it a lead or supporting role, the actor says, “I don’t look at the length of my role or what character I am playing. If it is exciting, I take it up.” Sharib is now excited about his next film, Darbaan, which might get an OTT release.
Season 2 of The Family Man is under post-production and may be released later this year. Samantha Ruth Prabhu plays an important role in it. Sharib says that this season will be bigger and more thrilling than the previous one. He also reveals that this show has nurtured a bond between him and Manoj Bajpayee, “He is not only my co-actor, but is also my friend, mentor, and philosopher. He is like my elder brother. Working with Manoj sir is like going to an acting institute. There’s so much to learn and imbibe from him,” he enthuses. While he waits for the release of both his projects, Sharib is looking forward to his next film Phir Se Shaadi, that’s directed by Imran Rasheed.
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