It's not like we parted ways, now is the right time: Emraan on working with Bhatts on ‘Awarapan 2’

Mumbai: When you do so many successful films together, it becomes tricky, says actor Emraan Hashmi, who doesn't view returning to the Bhatt camp with Awarapan 2 as a reunion.

Hashmi earlier this month announced the sequel to 2007's Awarapan, produced by his uncle Mukesh Bhatt's banner Vishesh Films, on the occasion of his 46th birthday.

He made his acting debut with the production house's Footpath in 2003. The actor, whose last project with the Bhatts was 2016's Raaz: Reboot, said Awarapan 2 is happening at just the right moment.

“I don't see this as reuniting (with the Bhatts) at all. It's not like we parted ways. It's just that when we had this illustrious partnership, successes for almost 14 years, starting from 2003, all the way back to the last release was 2016, which was Raaz 4. It's almost a 90-95 per cent success rate. When you do so many films together, it becomes tricky,” Hashmi told PTI in an interview here.

After Footpath, he continued working with the Bhatt family for nearly two decades, having starred in several successful films, such as Gangster, Raaz: The Mystery Continues, and “Murder 2”, among others. Later, the actor featured in films backed by different filmmakers like The Dirty Picture, Shanghai, Ghanchakkar, and Tiger 3.

Hashmi, 46, said the fan base of Awarapan was the key reason for them to consider the sequel, adding they didn't rush into production without a solid story “It's been in the talks for quite some time. We just didn't want to make a sequel for the sake of it. We had to zero in on a subject that would be right to take the movie forward. It's a film with a massive cult following.

"It's got a following which is way more than the huge box office successes of mine. The kind of goodwill that it's got through satellite, Torrentz back in the day, YouTube, it's phenomenal. We just wanted to do it at the right time when we have the right script, and now is the right time,” he added.

The actor said they want to ensure “Awarapan 2” lives up to the legacy of its predecessor.

“How do you keep it new? Because you have been there, you've done pretty much everything. There's no point getting out films and starting to become debacles at the box office because the audience is like, ‘We've already seen this before’.

“So, we took some time with that. Then COVID happened, and two years went by. A lot of recalibration happened.” Awarapan, directed by Mohit Suri and written by Mahesh Bhatt, followed Shivam (Hashmi), a hitman tasked with keeping an eye on his boss' mistress (Mrinalini Sharma). However, Shivam's life takes a turn when he discovers the mistress's desire for freedom and love.

The first part also starred Shriya Saran and Ashutosh Rana.

Hashmi said the filming for Awarapan 2 will begin in two months and the sequel will arrive in theatres next April.