Vidya Balan – Emraan Hashmi starrer ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ was almost titled ‘Tum Hi Ho’

Forthcoming film ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ was almost titled ‘Tum Hi Ho”, director Mohit Suri has reveled, as a song with the same title from his last directorial ‘Aashiqui 2′ was close to his heart.
Suri says ‘Tum Hi Ho’ was a great title too.
“I was in two minds as it (title) was not capturing the entire essence of ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani”. It is 
“It is during one of our brainstorming meetings that Vishesh Bhatt came up with the name ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ and it was just perfect. Vikram Bhatt had the title registered and he was kind enough to give to to us. This is the story of how we got the title of the film,” Suri said in a statement.
‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ is a film that questions the societal definition of love and raises pertinent questions whether marriage is the only culmination of love.
The Fox Star Studios film, which features Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi and Rajkumar Rao, is set to release on June 12.

I would like to own a Ferrari someday, Says Emraan Hashmi

Emraan Hashmi's role in Hamari Adhuri Kahani is unlike anything people have seen him play before. But what's funnt is that he's playing the other man in Vidya Balan's married life, something that he has done so many times before? So how is this different? The actor explains...

You have seen a spate of disappointments in last few months. The recent one being Mr. X. So how important is Hamari Adhuri Kahani for Emraan Hashmi's career?
Hamari Adhuri Kahani is very important because I am reinventing myself with it. This is something that I have never done before because I felt the need to change things around me. I needed a shift. You can say, it's me coming of age with this film. In last 12 years, I have given audiences what they like which also were a reflection of me – the rebellious, bratty me. But this time I am in a different territory.

Vidya Balan and you have worked in two films before this, Dirty Picture and Ghanchakkar. but this is the only romantic film, right?
Yes, Dirty Picture had us in a love-hate relationship while Ghanchkkar was completely different. But we were pretty clear that next time we come together, it has to be a romantic film.

People are raving about Rajkummar Rao's performance. Even in those few scenes, he managed to leave a mark. Does it bother you?
First of all, I haven't heard this before. This is the first time someone told me about it. Frankly speaking, I find it very petty to comment on.

What's with you and someone else's woman? You seem to manage to lure these women out of their troubled relationships and into your arms. You did it in Murder, Zeher, Gangster and now HAK….
(Laughs) Yea, I have wrecked many relationships on screen. But here I am not stepping between two people. My character isn't grey at all. It is completely white. I am not doing anything unethical.

Your next is Azhar, a biopic on former Indian cricket captain, Mohammad Azharuddin. What is that one thing in the former skipper you are finding very difficult to emulate?
(Sighs) Leg glance! I have been practicing it every morning, to get the nuances right but as of now, I haven't been too successful. He does it so effortlessly. But I am sure I will master it soon.

You have a huge fetish for expensive watches and high-end cars. True?
I have always loved watches and have many luxury watches now. I was fond of them from the time I used to wear a Casio watch as a kid. I remember my father had bought me an automatic watch in 10th standard. Presently, I am really fond of the models from IWC, Hublot, Breitling, Graham, Ulysses Nardin and others. As for cars, I do have an Audi 8, a BMW and others but I would like to own a Ferrari someday.

Emraan Hashmi’s new chapter with ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’

When writer Mahesh Bhatt first approached his nephew Emraan Hashmi about a role in a film about unrequited love he was planning to write, the actor politely declined. But two years later, when Bhatt, a noted director himself, sat Hashmi down again and convinced him to listen to his narration of a draft, he moved the actor to tears.

“He came over to my house and sat me down and I just couldn’t help myself. I have never shed tears while listening to a narration,” Hashmi recalls. “So I said yes. If a first draft could move me this way, I thought it was going be just the film I was looking for.”

Although not new to romantic films, Hashmi is best known for his erotic thrillers, which have firmly established him as Bollywood’s go-to ladies’ man. Subsequent attempts to do comedy and action, like his April release, Mr X, haven’t done much to change that.

Hamari Adhuri Kahani (Our incomplete story), he’s hoping, will flip the script for him.

“In a sense, this film marks a new phase in my career,” he says. “I’ve had a fantastic 12 years in the industry, I’ve had some success and I’ve learned that your needs from roles changes at some point. And that needs to reflect in the work you’re doing.

“I had a rebellious phase. Now I am more responsible. But that needs to manifest on screen. And this film came at the right time for me. At this point in my life, I want to do films with more emotions than big spectacles. I want to do films that stand the test of time.”

Directed by Mohit Suri, Hamari Adhuri Kahani (HAK) reunites Hashmi with Vidya Balan, with whom he was last seen in Ghanchakkar (2013) and The Dirty Picture (2012). They play star-crossed lovers who are torn apart by their circumstances. Indian National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao also plays a pivotal role in the film.

Hashmi says he had to dig deep emotionally to bring out the maturity the role demanded.

“My character has many layers and [is] very nuanced. He’s someone who means well but he’s looking for happiness in all the wrong places,” he explains. “There are about six or seven very emotional scenes when my character breaks down. It had to be done just right. And it’s not something you can switch on off. You need to really feel it.”

That’s when things got a bit personal, he says.

In January last year, Hashmi’s then four-year-old son Ayaan was diagnosed with kidney cancer. While filming for HAK hadn’t commenced then, production of Mr X had to be delayed as Hashmi and his wife Parveen Shahani, rushed their only child to Canada for treatment.

Hashmi has spoken about his personal struggles during the treatment, and how he almost gave everything up when his film commitments required him to report back to work. Ayaan was declared cancer free in August.

“Any kind of tragedy and life-changing experience makes it even more fulfilling to do these kind of roles,” says Hashmi. “Because you are able to connect somewhere with that very real experience you’ve had and make the emotions much more personal.”

He says he shares a natural chemistry with Balan, whom he describes as an amazing actress.

“We didn’t know each other very well when we did The Dirty Picture, and we only had about two scenes together. But there was a tremendous response from the audience that we thought we should one day do an out-and-out romantic film.”

In HAK, Hashmi plays a hotel magnate who falls in love with a florist, played by Balan, who’s still married to her abusive husband. The film was extensively shot in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The UAE had the perfect kind of romanticism that was essential to the plot, says director Suri.

“There’s the perfect mix of Western-style development infused with a lot of Indian-ness, which is where the two central characters meet. Most people come to the UAE to shoot amazing buildings and show a futuristic modern city, but I wanted to capture the romance of the sand dunes, for instance, and the beauty of the desert rose.”

Suri and the cast were in Dubai in October last year to film around Dubai’s Shaikh Zayed Road, the Dubai International Airport, Bur Dubai and the Dubai Creek. They returned again in November to shoot at the city’s Miracle Garden and at the Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort in Abu Dhabi.

Suri, who is also Hashmi’s cousin, says he immediately said yes to HAK after reading the first draft.

“There are films that entertain you and then there are films that stay with you long after you’ve seen in. HAK is the kind of film that connects to your emotional state, touches you and lasts a long, long time,” he says.

Even men are unabashedly shedding tears at previews, he adds, laughing.

“This is the kind of film that doesn’t belong to me or Emraan or Vidya. It belongs to the characters. Every one will connect with the story to some stage in their lives, personalising it in some way. And I think that’s really touched a chord.”

Go to see the film with an open mind, says Suri, “And lots of tissues”.



Don’t miss it!

Hamari Adhuri Kahani releases in the UAE on June 11.

Kissing scenes don’t have shock value anymore: Emraan Hashmi

Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi says on-screen kissing has lost important in the current era because every other movie features intimate scenes.
“It (kissing scene) lost value long back. I didn’t think it had shock value when I started off but obviously it did. I didn’t think about it too much but people around were more conservative than me,” Emraan told PTI here.
The 35-year-old actor is happy to be a part of upcoming film “Hamari Adhuri Kahani” and says he wants to do more emotional roles from now on.
“I think when mature film comes my way I am spoilt by choice, I want to play more emotional roles. Something in this film has touched me and I want to do more such film that evoke that emotion. I feel the industry will see me in a different light post ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahaani’,” he said.
The film, directed by Mohit Suri, also stars Vidya Balan and Rajkumar Rao and will hit theatres on June 12.

On-screen kissing has lost its value says Emraan Hashmi

Emraan Hashmi, who is looked as the crusader of bringing in some boldness in Hindi film industry through his steamy scenes and kissing scenes, now feels that on-screen ‘Kissing’ has lost its importance in the present age because every other movie contains affectionate scenes.
“Kissing scenes lost value long back. I didn’t think it had shock value when I started off but obviously it did. I didn’t think about it too much but people around were more conservative than me”, Hashmi told Absolute India.
The actor also expressed desire to play more emotional characters as he is playing in his upcoming flick ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’. “I think when mature film comes my way I am spoilt by choice, I want to play more emotional roles. Something in this film has touched me and I want to do more such film that evoke that emotion. I feel the industry will see me in a different light post ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahaani'”, he concluded.
The film, ‘Hamari Adhuri Kahani’ has been directed by Mohit Suri and also stars Vidya Balan and Rajkummar Rao. The movie is scheduled for a 12th June release.

Emraan Hashmi plans a Bali vacation after Hamari Adhuri Kahani’s release

Hamari Adhuri Kahani will hit the theatres this Friday and there are many who are waiting to catch this film, including us. Emraan Hashmi is seen in an avatar never seen before and Vidya Balan seems to be at the top of her game. The tracks have already made a mark with the listeners, peaking audience’s interest. Guess, the buzz has made Emraan very hopeful about the film’s prospects and so he already has a vacation plan in place after the film’s release. He will be off to Bali next week!

During an exclusive chat with Bollywoodlife, when asked what Emraan Hashmi does when he is not shooting, the actor exclaims, “I love to travel. I will leave for Bali with my family next week. Really looking forward to the break.” Well, we agree, all work and no play makes everyone not only dull but tired too. It is nice to know that the actor will take some time off from his shootings.

Emraan will next be seen in Azhar, a biopic on Mohammad Azharuddin. The actor is sweating really hard to get the Azhar’s knocks right because it definitely is difficult to emulate this legendary cricketer.

Hamari Adhuri Kahani Promotion At Mumabai

On Wednesday, the duo stepped out to promote the film along with co-star Rajkummar Rao and director Mohit Suri. 

The quartet got in the mood to click a selfie and Emraan Hashmi was the one doing the honours. 

“Team #HAK Selfie!! :)” Emraan tweeted. 

The movie has Emraan Hashmi playing a hotel magnate who finds a meaning to his empty life when he falls for the character played by Vidya Balan. Vidya plays a battered wife who faces abuse at the hands of her abusive husband. 

The film’s trailer and songs have caught up with fans big time. 

The buzz is getting louder as the release date June 12 approaches. 

Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan Hamari Adhuri Kahani Promotion

Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan And Rajkumar Rao Hamari Adhuri Kahani Promotion At OYE FM

Emraan Hashmi And Vidya Balan Hamari Adhuri Kahani Promotion At Red FM

Emraan Hashmi Vidya Balan Hamari Adhuri Kahani Promotion At 98.3 FM

After Vidya Balan-Emraan Hashmi, now Rajkummar Rao risks his life for Hamari Adhuri Kahani shoot!

Yesterday only we had informed that Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan risked their lives to shoot for Hamari Adhuri Kahani, when the duo stepped out in front of a huge sand storm and completed their shot in just one take. Now we get to know that even the third superstar in the film, Rajkummar Rao was no one to be standing behind. He too had risked him life while the shooting of the film, but for a different scene. Wonder what he did?

Rajkummar plays Vidya Balan’s husband in the film and he has again pushed himself to play a conservative husband who believes that his wife is his property not just for one but seven lives. In a particular scene, Raj had to run through the jungle distraught and he walked up to the director and said that he wants to run bare-feet. Mohit advised him against this as he ran the risk of injuring himself. But Rajkumar was adamant. He explained that he is so emotionally distraught in the scene that the character shouldn’t even care if he is wearing shoes or whether his feet is getting cut in the process. Rajkummar did the entire scene without wearing his shoes. He ran for about a kilometre during the course of the shoot. He did end up bruising his feet but such was the dedication of this man that after the shot, he walked up to Mohit asking if he would want to do another take for the scene. Mohit told him that the scene was absolutely fabulous and that he was touched with his dedication.

A blown away Mohit Suri says, “I don’t have words to describe Rajkummar as an actor. He touches the soul of every character and makes those characters his own. He is simply unbelievable in the film and his dedication is inspiring. One has to see his performance in the film to believe what he has done. I do not want to say any more.” Rajkummar Rao is always knows for his dedication to get into the skin of the character. Rajkummar transforms himself with every film – Kai Po Che, Talaash, Love Sex Aur Dhokha, Ragini MMS, Dolly Ki Doli, Shaitan, Gangs Of Wasseypur, Chittagong, Queen, Citylights, the National Award winning film Shahid, etc. Rajkumar has always been an actor who has been hailed for his subtle yet powerful acting performances that have stolen the show.

We hope to see a similar stellar performance from the actor in the upcoming Hamari Adhuri Kahani, which releases on June 12.

Emraan Hashmi And Kareena Kapoor Finalized For Badtameez Dil

Emraan Hashmi and Kareena Kapoor Khan had commited to an urban revenge thriller film titled '‪#‎BadtameezDil‬' a while back, which was stalled temporarily while the script was being polished, will be directed by Akshay Roy and it will go on the floors next year. The project brings together two reputable banners - Karan Johar's Dharma with Ekta Kapoor's Balaji.The film sees Emraan in a double role and Kareena to play a lawyer. KJO previously admitted '' This script is perfect. I'd call it a love-hate story. In fact, it is one of the most interesting scripts I've read in recent times. Both the protagonists are strong characters and have a great opportunity to perform''. TV actress Kritika Kamra has been signed for an important role too. Ekta Kapoor revealed ''The film is an urban take on love – it is quirky, edgy, dramatic and intense.”

Emraan Hashmi, Vidya Balan shot for 'Hamari Adhuri Kahani' in a sandstorm

Director Mohit Suri wanted to capture a sandstorm shot for his forthcoming film Hamari Adhuri Kahani and use it as a metaphor for the impending problems brewing between the romance of Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan's characters in the film.
According to a source, Suri, who was shooting in the UAE, had a very small window to shoot this sequence before the sandstorm lashed on. However, on the given day the calculations went all haywire as the weather became extreme and Mohit was advised not to shoot”.
But the actors were more than willing to extend their help.
“Emraan and Vidya stepped up and told the director that they don't mind trying to get the shot before the sandstorm trapped them. And when Mohit said 'Action', the scene was taken in just one shot,” the source added.
The film also features Rajkummar Rao in a pivotal role. Presented by Fox Star Studios and produced by Vishesh Films, Hamari Adhuri Kahani releases on June 12.

Vidya Balan: I didn’t feel emotionally drained with my role in Hamari Adhuri Kahani

I had always heard of how down-to-earth Vidya Balan is. She looked a vision as she sat on the sofa, as she offers me coffee. Soon began our tete-a-tete, and a happy, positive Vidya spoke at length about her upcoming film Hamari Adhuri Kahani, constant body image battles and more. Read on…

You play a victim of domestic abuse in Hamari Adhuri Kahani. What challenges did you face while playing such a character?

To be very honest, for the very first time, this was one role that didn’t emotionally drain me and credit goes to my director Mohit Suri for that. He used to give me that time and space, after performing intense scenes, because he knew I needed it to come out of my character. I never had to ask him for the same because it was already being done. He isn’t the one who likes to discuss a scene in detail, that’s his style. He used to discuss scenes to reassure me and I knew that. Coming to the domestic abuse part, I don’t look it at that way. In the film, Rajkummar Rao (Vidya’s husband in the film) sees me as his property that can be used any way that he likes, so it’s more about that.

You have worked with Emraan Hashmi before in The Dirty Picture and Ghanchakkar, and now, HAK. How different was it this time around?

With Emraan, now that I have worked with him and know him, there are no walls between us. We are very transparent with each other and know how to work with one another which is why I told Mohit that he (Emraan) and I didn’t need to meet each other before hand to discuss scenes because we already knew how to go about it. In fact, I wanted to meet Rajkummar, as I hadn’t worked with him before. So with Emraan, there’s no awkwardness at all.

There’s a scene in the trailer where Rajkummar slaps you hard. Did he actually do that?

Yes, yes, he did. In fact, I myself told him to just go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? I would slap him back, that’s all (Laughs). And he used to keep calling me Vidya ma’am for the longest time. I told him to start calling me Vidya, which he has finally started doing!

Being comfortable in your skin, you’ve always been an inspiration. But, at times, your weight became a heated topic of discussion. Comment.

There was a time when I used to be on a liquid diet because I had heard that one can lose weight that way. I started puking and falling ill. My mother saw this and finally hammered some sense into me. People come up to me and talk to me about my weight. In fact, just today, someone at lunch told me “You are so thin. On-screen, you don’t look this thin.” I excused myself, came back to my room and had lunch. I don’t understand why someone has to tell you, “You look thin or fat.” When people tell me I’ve lost weight, I don’t take it as a compliment. Now, I don’t even respond to it. I think we have started really obsessing over the way we look. I’m not asking anyone to NOT exercise. You should stay fit.

Do you think actresses have to worry about their weight a lot more than actors do?

Oh very much so. When I was doing Kismat Konnection with Shahid (Kapoor), they asked me to lose weight so that I could match his appearance. The thing that struck me was, they never asked him to change his look, bulk up or something to match my look.

If you had hits like The Dirty Picture and Kahaani, you also had films like Bobby Jasoos and Ghanchakkar. How do you deal with failure?

I was devastated because I had seven successful films before that, including The Dirty Picture, there was No One Killed Jessica and others. I didn’t understand why this was happening because all my films were doing well, people were praising me and suddenly, it stopped. I pray a lot generally and that point I even stopped praying. But during that time, my family really helped me. Talking to my family helped me a great deal and my sister and brother-in-law were there for me as well.

Making Of Hamari Adhuri Kahani Title Track