Sharib Hashmi says he had no work for years after working in Shah Rukh Khan’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan: ‘Brother-in-law told me to give up’

Actor Sharib Hashmi looked back on not bagging good roles despite having starred in Jab Tak Hai Jaan, alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | August 4, 2023 02:20 PM IST

3 min read

Sharib Hashmi was last seen in Tarla.

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Actor Sharib Hashmi reflected on not being able to capitalise on the attention he got after working in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jab Tak Hai Jaan, the last film directed by the legendary Yash Chopra. In an interview, he said that he was paid well for the film, but spent the next few years struggling to bag roles.

He told Siddharth Kannan that by this time, he was auditioning for more meaningful parts, as opposed to the commercials and smaller roles that he’d fight for at the start of his career. He also recalled working with Shah Rukh, whom he said was very kind and even offered tips on how to improve his lines.

Also read | First of Many: Sharib Hashmi revisits Jab Tak Hai Jaan

He said in Hindi, “After I started auditioning properly, the first job I got was Jab Tak Hai Jaan. I got paid Rs 2 lakh for it, for around 20 days. Rs 20,000 per day wasn’t bad at all. There was no question of negotiating over the salary; I was happy to do it for free also.” After that, Sharib landed the lead role in Filmistaan, for which he was paid Rs 1.5 lakh.

But to his surprise, this didn’t translate to bigger and better job opportunities. “I thought I’d made it, but for one reason or another, nothing was working out. Films I had signed for were cancelled, some were left incomplete, others weren’t released. One year turned to two, two to three. This period was more difficult, because before Filmistaan, I’d never seen any success. So, when people started turning their backs after that, it was a difficult pill to swallow.”

Sharib said that his brother-in-law even suggested that he should come settle down in the US and give up acting. “You’ve worked with Shah Rukh Khan and still nothing has changed,” he was told. Sharib continued, “That’s what regular people believe, don’t they? Once you’ve worked with a huge star, you’re sorted. But everyone has their own journey. I was determined, I didn’t want to do anything else.”

Sharib is best known these days for his supporting role in the Prime Video series The Family Man. Most recently, he played two diametrically opposite roles, as the villain in the political thriller Afwaah, and the supportive husband in the feel-good drama Tarla.

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