Emraan Hashmi gave five out of five stars to 'Showtime'

Hotstar's new web series 'Showtime', produced by Sumit Roy and directed by Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar, explores the nepotism of the entertainment industry. Emraan Hashmi, Mahima Makwana, Mouni Roy, Rajeev Khandelwal, Shriya Saran, Vijay Raj, Naseeruddin Shah, Lillete Dubey, Vishal Vashishtha, Neeraj Madhav, Gurpreet Saini, and Denzil Smith are seen in this series. Let us tell you that the executive producers of this show are Karan Johar, Apoorva Mehta, Somen Mishra, and Mihir Desai. This is a production of Dharmatic Entertainment.

Let us tell you that ‘Showtime’ will stream on Hotstar from March 8.

Emraan, you are playing the role of a producer in this. Tell us something about it.

Emraan- The work of a producer is very difficult. My first producer told me “This chair on which I sit is an electric chair. He had said that filmmaking is not just about making shots, writing the script and start, sound, action, and cut.” I think a lot of it is financial. Disasters happen every day on film sets and managing them is also a task. The biggest task is to manage the ego of the stars. Along with all these things, a producer has to look after the sales, marketing, and many other things of the film. When I got the script and came to know that I was playing the role of a producer, I was very happy because I have experience working in the industry for so many years and I have a good relationship with the producers. I found Raghu's character very interesting. Raghu is a mass film producer and his character is somewhat similar to my filmography because I have done mass films for 10 to 15 years. Seeing the world of cinema through the studio system was a unique experience.

How do you handle the tantrums of your star cast?

Emraan- I can't bear the work of Mihir and Archit. Only he can tell you how much trouble we stars have caused him.

How challenging was it for you as an actor to connect with the audience by becoming a producer and to set your show apart from other shows in this trend of web series?

Emraan- Ever since OTT became a trend, I have read many scripts, and I have also rejected many offers. Because I had to do a show which was a clutter breaker. There is no such show on any platform that reflects the world of the industry. We have also shown a little bit of nepotism because that is what has been going on for the last few years. But apart from this, there are many other things which will be seen in this show. How the industry runs, what are the methods here and how are the people here, all these things have been shown in this show.

The show is about nepotism and insider-outsider, so what are your thoughts on it?

Mouni- If you are asking whether nepotism exists or not, then I would say that nepotism does not exist only in this industry, it is in every field. If any person goes into any field and if his acquaintances want to go into that field, then he tries his best to help him. We all have been working in this industry for so many years and the audience has accepted us. The people who are part of this industry are talented and they are here today only because of the audience.

Mahima- The entertainment industry is targeted a lot. Nepotism is not just in Bollywood, it is in every industry and field. I believe that if insiders and outsiders live together then this industry is very beautiful. This happens very rarely but it does not mean that it is impossible. Many people have come into this industry and made a name for themselves. People have made a name for themselves by working hard and when their children get the benefit of this then it is not right for us to target them. Outsiders should get opportunities and they are getting them.

Rajeev- There has already been so much discussion on this that I don't know what to say. If four people are involved in nepotism and four people are outsiders, still making an issue of the fact that there is nepotism is very wrong. We also transfer our property in the name of our children, why don't they transfer it to the children of their relatives who are more talented than your children?

Emraan and Shriya, both of you are reuniting in this show after 'Awarapan'. What would you like to say about this?

Emraan- I don't have that many scenes with Shriya. But this is also a reunion in a way because 'Awarapan' was released in 2006 and unfortunately we did not get a chance to work again. That film is also very memorable for the audience. Shriya is very talented and has played a very integral role in this show.

Shriya ji, would you like to tell us something about this show and your character?

Shriya- The character I am playing in this show is mine but it is not mine. Meaning, it is very connected to my life but I am not this kind of person at all. This is a character that surprises me. Sometimes it happens that when you read the script, you find the character interesting but when you start shooting, the character surprises you. There was a scene in this show too in which I was removing my make-up, and when the scene started I thought it was me but I was not. I enjoyed playing this character a lot.

Emraan, you have done mass films. Your songs are hits even today. This is your second series, so do you believe that songs are not given that much importance on OTT platforms?

Emraan- I want the songs to get more importance. There is a perception that songs look good only in theatrical business or music videos. I believe that if we include some songs in this show where we are talking about Bollywood, our engagement will increase even more. A few days ago, I told my director to include some songs in it that relate to the show. Well, there are two songs in our show, one of which is Rajeev's hook step and the other is Mouni's introduction song. Well, there are some songs in the background also. A decision is yet to be taken on this matter. We want the song to be a promotional chartbuster song related to the show.

Emraan, do you think actors are typecast in the Hindi film industry?

Emraan- This happens from two sides, firstly, the audience wants to see you in the same kind of character and secondly, when something becomes successful, it seems like a safe net to the producers.

Emraan, if you get a chance to become a producer in real life, will you become one?

Emraan- I will not become a producer at all. I tried once and in that too I was a silent producer. I think I don't have much idea about commercial business and I am very happy as an actor.

Mahima, you are playing the role of a journalist in this show, so what kind of questions do you like to ask?

Mahima- My character is not a journalist, she is a film critic, and she gives reviews of films. She tells the truth, whether it works in her favor or not, but she always supports the truth.

Mahima, as a film critic, how many stars would you like to give to Showtime?

Emraan- He has not seen the show yet but I have seen it and I will give it five out of five stars.

Mahima: By giving stars, the public will decide how many stars to give.

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