Emraan Hashmi directs a shot for Ek Thi Daayan

From a serial kisser to a successful A-lister, actor Emraan Hashmi has donned many hats in Bollywood. Now, the actor is set to wear another hat as he turns director for a shot.

From a serial kisser to a successful A-lister, actor Emraan Hashmi has donned many hats in Bollywood. Now, the actor is set to wear another hat as he turns director for a shot.

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Emraan took Ek Thi Daayan (ETD) director Kanan Iyer’s seat while shooting Kanan’s cameo for the film. ETD will mark Kanan’s debut as a director as well as an actor.

Kanan couldn’t be happier. “I decided to do a small role in the film for fun. And I wanted someone else to direct me. Emraan was around and he stepped up and said, why not? It was fun,” says Kanan. While the two shot for over an hour, the scene will ultimately be less than a minute in the film. In the cameo, Kanan plays a scientist giving a lecture to school students. Later, Emraan’s character comes searching for someone in the same school.

Unlike most directors, Kanan didn’t want a passing shot. Instead, he wanted his scene to showcase pure acting. “I’m not an actor. So I can’t judge myself. I needed an outsider to tell me if my shot worked or needed more work. Emraan guided me through the scene and made sure that I looked like a scientist. We worked on the look, dialogues and reactions.”

About his leading man, Kanan feels Emraan is an involved actor. “He isn’t a mechanical actor who comes and blindly delivers. He gets into the skin of the character and constantly talks about his interpretation of how a character behaves in a certain scene. Or how his character would look in certain situations. We had lots of discussions before shooting the film, which helped both of us.”

Does Emraan have what it takes to be a director? Kanan says with a smile, “Absolutely. He is an extraordinary, intelligent actor, and I am sure he would be a good director someday.”