Emraan Hashmi decodes the impact of 'serial kisser' tag on his acting career, gets candid about Bollywood with Ranveer Allahbadia

Emraan Hashmi is one Bollywood actor who 90s kids know as either the 'serial kisser' or the actor whose movies produced some of the most memorable songs. Emraan got tagged the serial kisser owing to his adult-rated scenes in movies like Murder and Aashiq Banaaya Aapne. During his recent conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia, Emraan, who is making his acting comeback with Awarapan 2, discussed the very tag and how it impacted his career, apart from fake friendships in Bollywood. Here's everything he said...

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Emraan Hashmi on the serial kisser tag

During his conversation with Ranveer Allahbadia, Emraan Hashmi recalled how he was stereotyped into the 'serial kisser' image from 2003-2012. He recalled how the tag became a marketing strategy and the media overused the tag in front of his name during the time. "See, a large part of my career from 2003 to 2012, is chhavi ko is tarah nichoda gaya tha ki wo ek label ban gaya tha, wo marketing main istemaal kiya jata tha," he recalled, stating that it would annoy him slightly to see that happening, because, at the end of the day, he is an actor who wanted his audiences to see that he is more than just a serial kisser.

Emraan Hashmi's transformational journey and upcoming comeback

After taking a brief break in hopes that audiences would move past the 'serial kisser' image, Emraan Hashmi actively pursued projects that would primarily prove his acting skills. He did so through Why Cheat India?, a movie which was based on an examination paper scam. The movie, unfortunately, did not perform at the Box Office as expected because the tag was still stuck with people.

Not just Why Cheat India?, Emraan even got into the skin of former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin for the biopic film, Azhar. The movie had glamour and only a little in terms of sensuality. The film also failed to leave a mark, but Emraan did not stop putting in conscious efforts to change his image. Now, the actor is back post-pandemic in hopes of changing things again, this time with Ground Zero and Awarapan 2.

Emraan Hashmi discusses fake friendships in Bollywood

Emraan Hashmi and Ranveer Allahbadia got most candid about the lowest phase of their lives. While BeerBiceps came under the spotlight for a comment made on Samay Raina's show, India's Got Latent, and had to appear before court with a plea to continue his podcast since livelihoods depend on it, Emraan recalled seeing the dark truth of Bollywood. The actor, who felt loved when he was at the highest point in his Bollywood career, was left all alone during his lowest phase. He recalled how during his highs, there would be bouquets sent to his home, to the extent that he didn't have space to stand and during his lowest phase, not one person showed up. "When your chips are down, you really find out who your true friends are," Emraan said, adding that need-based relationships are a part of the glamour. "You’re just a means to their end. You are merely a return on the investment they make," he shared.

Awarapan 2 is scheduled to release in theatres on April 3, 2026.