Mahesh Bhatt Thought Emraan Hashmi's "Career Will Be Over" After Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai

Emraan Hashmi was last seen Disney+ Hotstar show Showtime

Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai is undoubtedly one of the finest films of Emraan Hashmi's career. In the Milan Luthria directorial, Emraan played the role of Shoaib Khan. But did you know Emraan's uncle, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, initially asked him to drop the role? Emraan himself disclosed this in a chat with The Lallantop. He recalled Mahesh saying, “If you play this character, your career will be over.” Emraan added, “He warned me, ‘While some characters with grey shades are able to redeem themselves, this character will change people's perception of you overnight.'”

Emraan Hashmi shared that after the film's release, Mahesh Bhatt realised that he was wrong. Emraan said, “When the film released and became a massive success, he called Milan and said, ‘I am sorry. I was wrong.' He admitted that the film, contrary to his initial thoughts, was entertaining rather than dark.” 

Released in 2010, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai also featured Ajay Devgn, Kangana Ranaut, Prachi Desai and Randeep Hooda. The movie was bankrolled by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures.