The year 2008 marked a turning point for Hashmi, when he played a conman in the crime drama. He subsequently gained recognition for portraying a range of unconventional characters in the horror film (2009), the biographical drama (2011), the psychological thriller (2011), the romantic comedy (2011), the crime thriller (2012), and the supernatural thrillers (2012) and (2013), all of which earned him critical appreciation. Hashmi's acclaimed performances in the underworld drama (2010) and the political thriller (2012), garnered him two nominations at. After appearing in another series of box office flops, he starred as the in the biographical sports drama and an evil spirit in the horror thriller (both 2016) – and received praise for the drama (2015), and (2017). Contents • • • • • • • • • • • Early life and background [ ] Hashmi was born on 24 March 1979, in,, India. His father, Anwar Hashmi, is a businessman, who also acted in the 1968 film, and his mother, Maherrah Hashmi, was a homemaker. His paternal grandfather, Shauqat Hashmi, migrated to after the, while his grandmother, Meherbano Mohammad Ali (known by her screen name Purnima), was an actress, who stayed in India.
Meherbano Mohammad Ali later married producer-director Bhagwan Dass Varma, and was the sister of Shirin Mohammad Ali, the mother of producers and, who are thus Hashmi's uncles. Hashmi is the cousin of director, with whom he has collaborated in several films. His other cousins are actresses and, while another cousin is actor. Hashmi studied at the. After graduating from Jamnabai, he attended in Mumbai.
Hashmi later earned a bachelor's degree from the. Career [ ] 2003–2007: Debut and breakthrough [ ] Hashmi made his acting debut in 2003, with 's. Co-starring alongside and, he portrayed the role of Raghu Shrivastav, a gangster. His performance in the film was appreciated by critics; Gaurav Malani described him as the 'scene-stealer' and praised his mannerisms. The following year he featured in 's with. Of said about his performance: 'Emraan Hashmi is fantastic in a role that seems tailor made for him. Enacting the role of an obsessive lover with flourish, there's no denying that the narrative gets a major impetus thanks to Emraan's performance.'
Murder emerged as a financial success, with a domestic total of ₹250 million (US$3.5 million), becoming the ninth-highest-grossing film of the year in India. Hashmi with his uncle Hashmi next starred in Anurag Basu's,, opposite. While shooting the film, Basu was diagnosed with blood cancer, so producer-director completed it. Although the film did not succeed at the box office, his portrayal of Daksh Mittal (a young millionaire who falls in love with a ) was generally well received.
A review of his performance in noted that he was 'becoming fabulous with every film.' Hashmi then took a supporting role in Mohit Suri's thriller, alongside, Smilie Suri,,. Based on the, the film depicted the devastating effect that non-consensual have on the subjects.