Working in Slumdog millionaire to becoming a full-time actor | Sharib Hashmi | Pehla Pehla with Gopal Datt

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In this episode of Pehla Pehla with Gopal Datt, actor Sharib Hashmi shares his transformative journey from a television writer to a full-tim

Key takeaways

Sharib Hashmi transitioned from being an in-house writer for MTV and ETC to pursuing acting professionally.
His audition for Danny Boyle for 'Slumdog Millionaire' involved successful improvisation that impressed the director.

Main topics

Career transition from writing to acting
Childhood memories in Malwani

Notable quotes

I am on a journey from Malwani to Melbourne.

Conclusion

A nostalgic and inspiring look at the perseverance required to navigat

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:03) Let's Speaker 3 (0:04) go, Speaker 1 (0:04) today we have Speaker 3 (0:05) with Speaker 1 (0:05) us 24 karat gold man, Sharif Hashmi. Give Speaker 3 (0:09) him a Speaker 1 (0:09) big hand. So, brothers, first of all, I would like to tell the public that we had piloted this with Sharif. How will I be able Speaker 3 (0:21) to Speaker 1 (0:21) talk? Will I be Speaker 3 (0:22) able to Speaker 1 (0:22) ask Speaker 3 (0:22) people Speaker 1 (0:22) questions? Sharif has given that Speaker 2 (0:26) courage. Speaker 1 (0:26) And today we are close Speaker 2 (0:28) to the end of the first Speaker 1 (0:28) season of Almost Ek. So, thank Speaker 2 (0:33) you very Speaker 1 (0:33) much, my brother. The pilot flew the car so well. So it Speaker 2 (0:38) was Speaker 1 (0:39) fun. Thank you. Speaker 2 (0:39) Thank you for coming. Thank you for calling. Speaker 1 (0:42) I was Speaker 2 (0:42) waiting for my number. Yes, Speaker 1 (0:45) the dates were happening Speaker 2 (0:47) in between. Speaker 1 (0:47) I thought I have Speaker 2 (0:48) to do it with Speaker 1 (0:48) Sharif. So tell me, what was our first meeting? What was our first meeting? Our first meeting was in the building of Sun and Sea. Speaker 2 (1:00) Oh, yes. That was the first one? Yes, Speaker 3 (1:02) that Speaker 2 (1:02) was the Speaker 3 (1:02) first Speaker 2 (1:02) one. We never met before Speaker 3 (1:04) that. Speaker 2 (1:04) I saw you performing something. It was not a drama. It was something else. Let me remind Speaker 1 (1:12) you. Nitin Kakkar, our friend, a very good director. He directed Filmistan. Nitin made a film. Filmistan. Before that? Short film? Yes, we met on the screening of that film. Yes. His name was Black... Sia Haasier. Sia Haasier. Black Freedom. Black Freedom. Black Freedom. Speaker 2 (1:35) There was Speaker 1 (1:35) a screening of Speaker 2 (1:35) Black Freedom Speaker 1 (1:35) on which we met. Correct. Yes. After that, the second meeting was during the reading of Filmistan. During the reading, yes. In the first reading, I was sitting as a writer. Speaker 2 (1:47) Yes. Because... Speaker 1 (1:48) At that Speaker 2 (1:49) time, Speaker 1 (1:49) someone Speaker 2 (1:49) else was playing my Speaker 1 (1:51) role. Speaker 2 (1:51) Someone else was Speaker 1 (1:51) playing. And then when Speaker 2 (1:53) you Speaker 1 (1:53) started reading, you Speaker 2 (1:54) read Speaker 1 (1:54) so Speaker 2 (1:54) well Speaker 1 (1:55) that the director thought that no one could do better than him. No, no, no. So this is our first meeting. But then after that, we... Our friendship has grown so much. I Speaker 2 (2:08) acted because of him. My first act was because Speaker 1 (2:11) of Speaker 2 (2:11) Gopal. Speaker 1 (2:12) We'll come to Speaker 2 (2:13) that. Speaker 1 (2:13) But first tell me what is your first memory of childhood? If a person's life is a cinema, then what Speaker 3 (2:22) is his Speaker 1 (2:22) first scene? Speaker 2 (2:25) I have two childhood memories. I was wearing my dad's underwear. I'm dancing and look at my new underwear. It has pockets. I'm telling you. It has pockets. My new underwear has pockets. Speaker 3 (2:42) What a memory! I feel like I was doing this yesterday. I'm dancing in my dad's underwear. I have pockets. Speaker 1 (2:57) You have the design in Speaker 3 (2:58) it. Speaker 1 (2:59) I thought it was Speaker 2 (3:00) pockets. Speaker 1 (3:06) What a memory! It's a memory! Speaker 2 (3:12) Oh my God! And one more thing, like my daughter, she comes home from school with a stomach ache every week. She comes Speaker 3 (3:23) home from Speaker 2 (3:23) school. She Speaker 3 (3:25) has to go Speaker 2 (3:25) to Speaker 3 (3:25) school and Speaker 2 (3:25) get it. So, I too had the same thing once. My mind... I didn't have time to Speaker 1 (3:30) go Speaker 2 (3:30) to Speaker 1 (3:30) school. Speaker 2 (3:31) So I told my mom that my stomach is hurting. She said it doesn't matter. Let's go. And they were not listening to me. I went inside the blanket and hid. And I put some clothes and stuff in front of me. So that I don't get seen. It's been hours. Everyone is worried at home. Mom started crying. Everyone is looking for her. The whole neighbourhood was looking for me. Where did Lucky go? I was in second standard. I was in first or second. Everyone Speaker 3 (3:56) was worried. Speaker 2 (3:57) Someone peeped under the bed. People had peeped before but no one understood. There was one smart person. He went inside and pulled the bed. I was seen. Speaker 3 (4:11) I Speaker 2 (4:12) was scolded and scolded again. And my mother cried more, saying, don't do this, if you don't want to go, then tell me. I said, that's what I was saying. You guys didn't listen to me properly. I said, I'm Speaker 3 (4:22) alive. Speaker 2 (4:23) Oh, where is this from? This is Malad Malwani, number Speaker 1 (4:27) one. Speaker 2 (4:27) I was Speaker 1 (4:28) born and raised there. And then schooling and all. Schooling Speaker 2 (4:32) was also there. St. John's Malad was a school. Then Speaker 1 (4:35) what is the school, the Speaker 2 (4:37) beginning memory? The school, actually, the initial, what do you call it, I was very introvert. The two people sitting next to me were my friends. I used to talk to them as little as possible. And I didn't know how I left school till the 5th, 6th, 7th grade. Zero activities, zero adventures, zero stories, zero stories. I left like that. It feels like what I did in those times, especially in school. In my area, I used to do that. Speaker 2 (5:09) Because my dad was a film journalist. So when film stars used to come... ...I used to think that lucky people come to film stars' houses. So that was Speaker 3 (5:19) a Speaker 2 (5:19) bit weird. And I used to think that I used to Speaker 3 (5:22) think Speaker 2 (5:22) myself a bit more handsome in my childhood. That I am going to become a hero when I grow up. So that was a lot of childhood. I mean, the first time I saw Raj Babbar and Govinda... They came home? They came home. So that was... When the crowd gathered, those are my childhood memories. Speaker 1 (5:44) Whenever Speaker 2 (5:45) someone came, I was the youngest in the family. I went to a film shoot once, with B. R. Chopra's Mazdoor. Dilip Kumar sir was Speaker 1 (5:57) in it. He Speaker 2 (5:58) took a photo of me Speaker 1 (6:00) in his lap. Speaker 2 (6:01) There are Speaker 1 (6:01) many pictures of that Speaker 2 (6:01) day in which I am sad and angry. I don't know why I was angry. But the one photo in which Dilip Kumar sir took me in Speaker 1 (6:11) his Speaker 2 (6:11) lap, my ears are open. What a great talk Dilip sir took in Speaker 1 (6:16) his Speaker 2 (6:16) lap. Is that a photo? Yes, it is. Speaker 1 (6:20) I got this photo. Very nice. That's great. So, who did you see for the first time? The first time Speaker 2 (6:31) I saw a big actor was Rajbhabar. He came to my house. And if I went for a shoot... A labourer. I went for a set of Ajuba. Speaker 2 (6:46) And when my release was going on, I became a huge fan of Amir Khan. Speaker 1 (6:54) And Speaker 2 (6:54) his Love Love Love shooting was going on. I went there. There's a film called You Are Mine, in which there was a snake thing. I went Speaker 1 (7:03) for that Speaker 2 (7:03) shoot. There was a song going on. And they were Speaker 1 (7:06) eating Speaker 2 (7:06) daliya. I remember that a little. I took pictures with them. This is your real name, Filmistani. Right? Since childhood. Since childhood? Oh, Speaker 1 (7:19) brother. Speaker 2 (7:20) This is fun. I used to Speaker 1 (7:21) watch Speaker 2 (7:21) movies when I was a kid. And there used to be a garland at home. So I used to go up there and try to sing and Speaker 1 (7:27) dance. Brother, those who know Sharib Hashmi personally... They know that when Sharib comes to any party, he gets a lot of attention. I mean, singing, dancing, talking and being a pun. I can't even imagine that you were an introvert. Speaker 2 (7:47) Very much. I met a friend when I was in the 8th grade. His name was Imran. He hung me up in a daze. He used to dance, so I used to dance. He used to do something, so I used to do it. He was showing some duties, so I was doing it. Speaker 1 (8:05) He Speaker 2 (8:05) opened me up like this. Speaker 1 (8:09) He kept me hanging. Speaker 2 (8:11) Otherwise, I was very calm. Speaker 1 (8:13) So you used to feel scared to talk to me? I still feel scared. Speaker 1 (8:25) So when did you feel for the first time that you are a performer? When did you feel that you can perform? First Speaker 2 (8:32) time, I was on the road, I mean we were in Chol. So there was a bus stop. And we had a Chowpal type CBT. First Malwani in the 80s was very beautiful. Now Speaker 1 (8:49) it's completely ruined. Speaker 2 (8:51) There's no space left. It was a big tree, and people used to sit and have fun. Speaker 1 (8:58) I Speaker 2 (8:59) was singing a Speaker 1 (9:01) song Speaker 2 (9:01) by Kishore Kumar. It was very catchy. I was singing to my friends. Two or three people were standing at the bus stop. People started gathering there. A man came and gave me 20 rupees. Speaker 1 (9:13) That Speaker 2 (9:14) was my first earning. That day I felt... Speaker 2 (9:19) I have a thing for performing. So Speaker 1 (9:22) you randomly started Speaker 2 (9:24) singing Speaker 1 (9:24) at the bus stop? It was Speaker 2 (9:25) near Speaker 1 (9:25) the bus stop. I was singing Speaker 2 (9:27) to my Speaker 1 (9:27) friends. Okay. A song of half ticket came and I Speaker 2 (9:31) was Speaker 1 (9:31) impressed. And you sing very well. It's a wonderful song. I have seen it in the fairs. That and that. My Speaker 2 (9:39) dear Bindu. Speaker 1 (9:40) That too? No, that. Railcar! Yes, it's a great song. And do you remember the songs of Kishore Kumar? Yes. You Speaker 3 (9:51) introduced me to many Speaker 1 (9:51) songs. I didn't know that this was a song too. There are a few rare ones too. Yes, there are a few Speaker 2 (9:59) rare ones. Yak Doi Tranchha. Yes, Speaker 1 (10:03) tell me how it is. Speaker 2 (10:05) Yak Doi Tranchha. Speaker 3 (10:17) Oh, Speaker 1 (10:17) man! What a thing! Speaker 2 (10:20) This Kishor Da... So Speaker 1 (10:22) many songs like this, Sharif introduced me to, that this is also a song. Speaker 2 (10:27) I mean, Kishor Da, I don't Speaker 1 (10:28) know Speaker 2 (10:28) why, but Speaker 1 (10:30) I've been Speaker 2 (10:30) crazy about Kishore Kumar since Speaker 1 (10:33) childhood. Speaker 2 (10:33) And his old songs. And back then, we didn't even have that, that you go to YouTube and all the songs... Correct. On the audio cassette or Vivid Bharat. The songs that were played on the radio. Yes. We remember the songs that we heard once. Speaker 1 (10:46) We remember Speaker 2 (10:47) the songs that we Speaker 1 (10:47) heard on the radio. Amazing. And this is not an easy song. I didn't Speaker 2 (10:53) remember this song on the radio. But Speaker 1 (10:55) whatever I am saying. But Speaker 2 (10:56) we remember Speaker 1 (10:57) the Speaker 2 (10:57) songs Speaker 1 (10:57) that Speaker 2 (10:57) we heard once. Amazing. I mean, very... Kishore Kumar, Rafi, Mukesh never sat down to remember these songs. But I remember their... I remember hundreds of songs. Speaker 1 (11:10) There's one more difficult one. I Speaker 2 (11:20) can do anything. Speaker 1 (11:23) I'm a loud boy. I can Speaker 2 (11:25) do anything. Speaker 1 (11:26) I can do anything. Speaker 2 (11:27) But Speaker 1 (11:27) I remember one person. Oh. You performed there for the first time. Yes. That one. Which one? Speaker 3 (11:49) I keep Speaker 1 (11:50) saying that this man is a Speaker 3 (11:52) party Speaker 1 (11:52) man. Then what is the future of college and life after that? I Speaker 2 (11:59) was in Ismail Yusuf College for two years. What were you Speaker 1 (12:03) studying? Speaker 2 (12:03) I want to Speaker 1 (12:04) know what you Speaker 3 (12:05) studied in Speaker 2 (12:05) the arts. I Speaker 3 (12:07) didn't study anything. Speaker 2 (12:08) I was Speaker 3 (12:09) in Speaker 2 (12:09) arts and I got my BA in graduation. I graduated and got 35 % in economics. I didn't study at all, neither in school nor in college. I don't know how I would pass. After 12th, I changed college and came to Andheri Bhavant College. There, people came out a little different. Speaker 2 (12:37) I Speaker 1 (12:37) met more Speaker 2 (12:37) creative people. When I Speaker 1 (12:40) came to Mumbai, Bhavans used to be the place for rehearsals. There Speaker 2 (12:45) were so Speaker 1 (12:45) many different rehearsals. Gujarati play, Hindi play, Marathi, English. Everyone used to give rooms for Speaker 2 (12:54) rehearsals.