Emraan Hashmi is back with the biopic of cricketer Azharuddin. The actor is banking heavily on the film as his last two ventures have been box office duds.
Emraan says Azhar is more than a cricket film.  He says that it is an emotional  journey of a man who faced many ups and downs in life.
We had a brief chat with him, here are the excerpts…

What about cricketer Azharuddin inspired you?
I think the time from where he became the captain of the Indian cricket team. But I think what makes him more than a man is his inner strength and patience after he lost everything and the way he fought back. 

Did he start opening up (during research of the film) or was he guarded?
He  is  to an extent a guarded person but as days went by he  slowly started opening up and  frankly answered our questions.

Did Azhar tell you to do  anything specific regarding his relationship with Sangeeta Bijlani?
When we were shooting Sangeeta’s portions, he would suddenly come up and say Sangeeta faced this in real life too. They showed it wrong in the news.
What if a film was made on you, would you be ready for it?
Yes of course I would be ready for it.  I wouldn’t hide it all. The kissing is marketing gimmick,  life is more than that.  There are ups and downs in that. My struggles, my career and my personal life, ups and downs of my career.

You have managed to avoid controversies on your life?
You can call it living smartly.  It’s a very good thing. I stayed  away from it. I don’t let things bleed into each other. I cut off from my professional life and focus on my personal life.  My life does not extend beyond a film and it’s promotions.  I don’t go to award functions.
Your wife has managed to stay out of the limelight?
She chooses anonymity and she cherishes that she can walk on the road without being recognized, I make my marriage work.

Having  experienced so much in life how have you managed to keep your marriage intact?
Taking your relationship one day at a time and  making it work with certain honesty. There are lot of obstacles that you face in  life not just in marriage.   You have to keep working on it and make sure that your  child does not suffer and you have to keep moving ahead.
Anything you feel that you have left out from your personal life in your book (he recently released a book on his son’s struggles with Cancer) ?
Lot of things. There are many things which I could not incorporate in the book. But there are lots that I have included also. In the book, I told the story about how I was in college before I became an actor and how my son changed everything in life. The media does not know much about me and  I felt that they should know  which I have tried to put in the last chapter of the book.

You  have also started believing in Naturopathy as a cure?
I have read up a lot on my son’s illness and there is a chapter dedicated on that (Naturopathy).
Will we ever see you write a script?
I don’t know. I don’t have it in me to write a script. I never thought I would write a book also. If it is a personal journey something that I could translate from my own life, maybe I will someday.

You have also suffered a lot of pain in life?
It’s the worst thing for a family.  When you see your son suffering. You try and find the hope and courage and will to survive when you see your son suffering. We guided him and were his strength. We would get up and say let’s fight.
How do you look back on your life today?
I see growth, maturity and owning up responsibility and testing phase of life. It taught me to not take things for granted.  Whatever plans you make it has its own destiny and you should take things as they come. Cherish and enjoy what you are doing.

We heard that you are getting your son tutored in reading the Quran?
He is learning Kalams and Dua’s from an able teacher. My dadi had taught me. He’s learning from a Maulana.
How has your son reacted to the film?
He loved it and he wants to see the film again.

M.S. Dhoni (the film) is also coming up, how do you look at it?
It’s great time for films, biopics are doing well now.
Which character  did you like  more, Sangeeta’s or Naureen?
Naureen’s character is so real and there is no glamour.

We heard you got a lot of souvenirs from Azhar?
Azhar gave us the whole personal  cricket  kit to use in our film, his pads, his bat and helmet. I have taken it home now (laughs).