Inside Sudhir Mishra’s mad world

Sharib Hashmi, Sudhir Mishra and Nawazuddin Siddiqui

If you ask Sharib Hashmi, he'll tell you patience and self-belief are key to surviving in this industry. They saw him going from bit roles in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Batti Gul Meter Chalu (2018), to prominent parts in The Family Man and now, Afwaah. In fact, when it comes to a film as powerful as Sudhir Mishra's directorial venture, he says you need more than patience. "It's very difficult to come across such scripts. [You get them] only if your stars are rightly aligned," Hashmi smiles.

With Afwaah, the actor ticked several boxes off his wish list - be it telling an urgent story about the menace of misinformation, or working with Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Bhumi Pednekar. Hashmi though was sold on the idea of working with Mishra. "I've been a big fan of Sudhir sir's films. Just to be a part of his world was enough reason for me to sign this film. He [guided me] by way of the inputs he gave when we were shooting, or the way he described my character. He gave us a free hand. He'd put the scenario in front of us, and let us be."

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Things have been looking up for the actor since The Family Man. "Everything that I am right now is because of the show. People's perception changed after it. I had thought I'd only get to play the hero's friend after that. But fortunately, I'm offered a variety of roles."