Exclusive | Year Ender 2023 | Sharib Hashmi on battling body image issues and becoming a successful actor: 'I realised my calling very late'

In conversation with us Sharib Hashmi opened up about his journey

Sharib Hashmi, an actor known and loved for his versatility, made his Bollywood debut with Shah Rukh Khan's Jab Tak Hai Jaan and has been on a high with all the success in 2023. The actor has had such an amazing year that he doesn't want it to end. In an exclusive chat with midday.com, he opened up about his journey from being an assistant director to becoming an accomplished actor.

Talking about this year the actor said, "This year has been very beautiful for me in both the professional and personal spheres. My films received a lot of love, and I garnered much appreciation. On a personal front, I bought a new house and visited Mecca Madina. I don't want this year to end."

Further in conversation with us, the actor opened up about his journey from being a writer to an actor. Sharib who did a cameo in Slumdog Millionaire shared, "At the time, I was working as a writer. During that period, a colleague from MTV, responsible for casting the film, contacted me. I went through an audition and gave an improvisation, and Danny Boyle, who took my audition, incorporated it into the script - a significant moment for me. It was then that I felt the desire to become an actor. I realised my calling very late."

The actor, who has aspired to be in the acting profession since childhood, revealed that he became self-conscious about his looks. Consequently, he transitioned to become an assistant director, and writing entered his life almost serendipitously. The actor said, "Since my childhood, I had a desire to become an actor. However, as I grew older, I became very self-conscious about my image, leading me to underestimate myself. Consequently, I pursued a career as an assistant director. It was during this time that writing unexpectedly entered my life."

He further revealed, "I have a friend named Rajul Mishra with whom I attended college. Back then, he was assisting Sooraj Barjatya, and I used to visit Rajshri to catch up with him. During one of his freelance projects, he asked for my assistance. It was during this collaboration that he noticed my writing skills. Subsequently, in another project, he sought my help again. Before I knew it, I had transitioned into a career as a writer."

Sharib not only had an amazing 2023, but he is also planning to have a blast next year with ‘Fighter', ‘Family Man 3', and much more. Talking about his role in the Hrithik Roshan starrer, he said, "In 'Fighter,' I just have a cameo, and I did it for the love of Siddharth Anand Sahab. I wanted to work with him, and when he called me to offer this part, I couldn't say no. It was a personal achievement that he called me to give a part."

On a parting note, the actor shared what he wished to do in future and said, "There are a lot of things that I still want to do. I want to direct soon, and I don't mind acting in my directorial debut. I really enjoyed my negative role in 'Vikram Vedha' and had grey shades in 'Afwaah.' Now, I want to do a 'bhayankar badass' role, something intense. I want to be part of a larger-than-life film like 'Pushpa,' where every second is passing in slow motion."