Mumbai: Sharib Hashmi, who is best known for his role as JK Talpade in The Family Man, opened up about his first acting gig. He revealed that he landed the opportunity when he wasn’t even thinking of becoming an actor.
Speaking to News9, Sharib stated that he was working as a writer for Channel V when he was called for an audition for Slumdog Millionaire. A year after the movie, Sharib decided to switch careers and become a full-time actor.
He said, “Slumdog Millionaire happened when I didn’t even want to become an actor. I was working as a writer at Channel V after working at MTV for four years. My then colleague at MTV, who was working as a casting assistant on Slumdog, called me for a scene. I gave an audition and got selected. I was madly happy because I got a chance to meet director Danny Boyle. It was supposed to be a one-day shoot, but it got extended to the next day. I took a leave from office and did the scene, and came back. I took the decision to become an actor one year after Slumdog. I decided that I’ll earn my living by acting (sic).”
Sharib Hashmi about The Family Man Season 3
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Further, Sharib spoke of The Family Man Season 3. He divulged that he was both excited and nervous to hear from the show’s audience. “I’m excited as well as anxious about how people would react to this season. There’s already a buzz and people have a lot of expectations from this season. I hope that people will love it. Fingers crossed.” He added that it was satisfying to know how much the audience awaited the release of The Family Man Season 3.
When asked about a surprising fan moment, the actor stated that he was thrilled when two men recognised him at a tea stall on the outskirts of Pune. “I didn’t expect that two strangers from the interiors of India would have watched The Family Man and would recognise me. At that moment, I realised the reach of this show across India,” said the actor.
Sharib then went on to speak of the evolution of his character in the new season. He revealed that JK Talpade is on a quest to find himself a bride. He also added that the character’s bond with Srikant Tiwari, played by Manoj Bajpayee, has become firmer. “The dynamic between JK and Srikant has evolved. The ease between them has increased. Their bond has grown stronger and you’ll see that JK has become part of Tiwari family. You’ll see JK going to their house, to Atharva’s school and accompanying them in difficulties,” said Sharib.
He also credited the writers and creators of the show. He even disclosed that the charcter of JK Talpade was initially supposed to be a Bengali. “Earlier JK was supposed to be Ghosh, a Bengali. Raj and DK liked my audition but didn’t feel I looked Bengali enough and didn’t want me to do a fake Bengali accent. They were thinking where to fit me geographically. I told them that I’ve grown up in Mumbai and speak Marathi. So, they made JK a Marathi guy,” said the actor.