Emraan Hashmi starrer Taskaree: The Smuggler's Web has started streaming on Netflix. The actor plays the role of a customs officer in the series, which is created by Neeraj Pandey. The Free Press Journal
interacted with Emraan and spoke to him about the response he has received for the show, shift to OTT, The Bads of Bollywood viral dialogue, and a lot more...
What response are you getting for Taskaree?
Great stuff so far! I like to surround myself with people who would give very constructive criticism, and they are always honest; they have all loved it. People have binge-watched it in one night, and not with the intention of doing it; they just felt they would watch it through the weekend, but it's one of those shows you start once, and you don't want to stop. I have seen that for myself. I started it yesterday, but by default, I had a heavy day with promotions, so I had to watch the last two episodes today. It's just a show that keeps you hooked.
You play the role of a customs officer. So, for the prep, did you meet any real-life customs officers?
I have met a lot of them over the course of so many years of travelling. After signing the show, I met people, and I spoke to them while I was travelling during this time. Before I started shooting, I made it a point to go to the airports and talk to them. It was very important for me to get the body language right. Also, I think most of the stuff was there in the script, and there was a support system from the entire team.
We are sure that you haven't done any smuggling. But have you faced any issues with customs officers at the airport in real-life?
No, they've always been extremely sweet and cordial, even before I became an actor. And of course, as you said, I've never tried to do smuggling, so there's never been a problem. But, you know, I made a joke during the press conference that there's always a fear that you might have something that would be dutiable, because you don't know. Maybe it could be a laptop or whatever, even if it's below the dutiable amount, there's always a fear. But, otherwise, I've never had a situation with a customs officer where they felt there was any problem.
You are a prominent name in the Hindi film industry. The OTT boom happened during the pandemic in 2020. But you started working in web series even before that. Your first series, Bard of Blood, was released in 2019. So, what made you think that it is time to switch to OTT?
I don't think there's anything to switch. I used to watch a lot of Netflix and different content. I don't have too many people in the industry hawking over me. I don't take advice; I do what I feel like. Anything new that happens, our industry inculcates or accepts it very late. So when OTT started, it became this thing that 'you're a cinema star, theatrical star, you shouldn't be doing OTT'. But when I heard that, it was my reason to do it. I feel it's always nice to take a risk and try something new, that's why I did Bard of Blood in 2019.
'Aakha Bollywood ek taraf, aur Emraan Hashmi ek taraf', this dialogue from The Ba***ds of Bollywood became viral, and people still share it on social media. How do you feel about it?
I've been hearing it since the show launched last year, and it feels great. I'm very stumped with the whole virality of it. It just goes to show that after so many years of working in the industry, you don't know what suddenly blows up. Aap usi shiddat ke saath har cheez karte ho, some things hit the bullseye, some things don't, and some things just blow up. Someone actually sent me a very interesting message when the show was released, saying that this thing has blown up like a blockbuster film. So, it's just very heartening.
