INTERVIEW WITH EMRAAN HASHMI on TIGERS @ TIFF

StarBuzzOnline

Oscar-winning director Danis Tanovic's much-awaited film with Emraan Hashmi in the lead titled, Tigers, has been selected for its World Premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival. Based on a true story, this hard-hitting thriller drama, produced by Prashita Chaudhary of Cinemorphic and Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment, features Hashmi in his first international project and will premiere at 9:45 pm on September 8th, Scotiabank Theatre, Toronto.

STORY

Devastated when he discovers the effects of the infant formula he's peddling, a young salesman challenges the system and the powers that be. Ayan (Emraan Hashmi) is a young and a newly-married salesman who gets a job peddling locally-made drugs to pharmacies and doctors. Despite the fact that the Pakistani-manufactured pharmaceuticals he sells are cheaper than those sold by Western competitors, no one will trust or buy products that lack major brand names. His wife encourages him to apply for a job with Lasta, a large multinational, and Ayan is hired on a trial basis. It's not long before his natural charm and knack for glad-handing turn him into a minor star, and Lasta expands his responsibilities. However, one day he is devastated to see first-hand what the selling of baby formula really means in certain cases. Shocked, Ayan sets out to challenge the system and the powers that be.

In a neat piece of narrative structuring on Tanovic's part, this David-and-Goliath story is told partially through the eyes of a film crew making a documentary on Ayan's astonishing findings. But the power of Tigers lies in his willingness to push his film out onto the streets of Pakistan and into the face of a system where narrow interests prevail, and an honest man doing the right thing is castigated and threatened, and finally sees his life endangered.

Excerpts from an interview with Actor Emraan Hashmi:

Q1. How was playing in TIGERS different than your other acting projects?

It was completely different. It was unlike anything I had done before. Back in India, I have done over 30 films playing the protagonist in escapist mainstream fare, which I am very proud of. That has given me my identity and helped run my kitchen. But Bollywood cinema doesn't require you to delve deep into your character and be in the moment all the time. Of course,  with exceptions. Like I did a film with Dibakar Banerjee called Shanghai, which needed me to be completely immersed in another character. TIGERS was exactly that and a lot more. To not just be an actor but to own the film. To understand the issue that the film is trying to talk about and then slip into the character I am playing. It really challenged the actor in me and I am happy that I went through it because by the time it ended, it felt very liberating.

Q2. What attracted you to the project?

Danis Tanovic, first and foremost. His body of work speaks for itself and I don't really need to tell you about the fantastic films he has made. So with him helming the project, I knew I would be in safe hands even though TIGERS was going to be virgin territory for me. Also, I knew that this film will make me reach out to an altogether new audience. The character spoke to me. It felt that only I could play this. When you watch the film, you will know.

Q3. Tell us about the character you play and the conflicts of his story.

I play Ayan, who is a struggling young salesman in the far north east of Pakistan, when we first meet him. To the delight of his family and his pretty new wife he secures a job with a prestigious multinational corporation, marketing infant formula milk. He uses all his skills - and he is skillful - to convince doctors and other healthcare professionals that his products are the best in the market. Soon, he’s the star salesman and life is good. But then when Ayan learns from a doctor that babies are dying after having the milk he is selling, he is devastated and goes through an inner turmoil. It's then he decides to do something about it.

Q4. Were you familiar with the real-life incidents that the screenplay is based on? How did that make you feel when you heard about that? Do you have children of your own?

Yes, I have a four-and-a-half-year-old son. When I was first told that the events depicted in the screenplay are based on real-life incidents, I was very shaken. To be honest, I was not aware of this. I wanted to know more. Danis and his research team and writing team helped me with all the information out there. I felt very strongly about it. Children are precious, very precious. And their initial years are completely in the hands of us parents and the choices we make. Now, if such lethal products are out there, parents can be really helpless.

Q5. What do you think should be done as this problem continues? Do you think TIGERS will raise awareness about the problem and hopefully offer some solution?

I do hope TIGERS will raise awareness about the problem for starters. The film shows incidents as they happened, characters as they were. Danis has this masterly touch of making cinema, which seems absolutely real. And here he is showing a real incident, a real issue. People need to know that this problem still persists and there should be enough noise for the big companies to feel threatened. I don't think there is an instant solution but TIGERS can be the start.