Newly written and fact-checked at this article’s original address. Promotional photographs and media are not reproduced.
Key facts
- 2012 releases: Jannat 2 (May), Shanghai (June), Raaz 3 (September)
- Award recognition: Filmfare nomination, Best Supporting Actor, Shanghai
- Known for: Murder, Gangster, Awarapan, Jannat
- Family: Married Parveen Shahani in 2006; son Ayaan, born 2010
In 2012 Emraan Hashmi was at one of the busiest points of his career, and fan sites were full of his latest photo shoots and film stills. The old CareerMasti page at this address collected Emraan Hashmi pictures and desktop wallpapers, and a fan blog linked to it from a post about his look in the Awarapan years.
Those images are not reproduced here, because film stills and magazine photo shoots belong to the studios and photographers who made them. Instead, this page looks at the films and image that made Emraan so popular at the time. For his full life and career, see our Emraan Hashmi biography.
Why fans wanted the wallpapers
By 2012 Emraan had a decade of hits behind him. Thrillers such as Murder (2004), Gangster (2006), Awarapan (2007) and Jannat (2008) were remembered as much for their songs as for their stories, and his image as a brooding, romantic anti-hero made him a favourite for posters and phone wallpapers. Mohit Suri's Awarapan, in which he played the hitman Shivam, had become a cult film, and fans kept returning to its stills years after release.
His reputation was also changing. Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010), Murder 2 and The Dirty Picture (both 2011) were hits, and critics had begun to take him seriously as an actor.
Emraan's 2012 releases
Emraan had three major releases in 2012, each with a different look:
Jannat 2
Kunal Deshmukh's Jannat 2, released in May, was a spiritual sequel to his 2008 hit. He played a small-time Delhi arms dealer, nicknamed KKG, who is pressured into becoming a police informer. It was a commercial success.
Shanghai
In Dibakar Banerjee's political thriller Shanghai, released in June, he played Jogi Parmar, a small-town videographer who helps uncover a political conspiracy after an activist is killed. With buck teeth and an unglamorous look, it was a sharp break from his usual roles. Critics praised the performance, and it brought him a Filmfare nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Raaz 3
Vikram Bhatt's horror film Raaz 3, released in September, paired him with Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta. It was one of the earliest Hindi horror films released in 3D and was a box-office success.
| Film | Release | Director | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jannat 2 | May 2012 | Kunal Deshmukh | A small-time Delhi arms dealer turned police informer |
| Shanghai | June 2012 | Dibakar Banerjee | Jogi Parmar, a videographer |
| Raaz 3 | September 2012 | Vikram Bhatt | Lead, opposite Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta |
The image and the man
Off screen Emraan has often said that he is very different from the characters that made him famous. He married Parveen Shahani in 2006, and their son Ayaan was born in 2010. When Ayaan was diagnosed with cancer in 2014, Emraan cut back on work, and in 2016 he wrote the book The Kiss of Life about the family's experience. Ayaan was later declared cancer-free.
Finding licensed images
For Emraan Hashmi photographs that can be reused, Wikimedia Commons has freely licensed pictures from public events, with author credits and licence terms. Promotional stills and magazine shoots are normally copyrighted.
Full biographies
Frequently asked questions
Which films did Emraan Hashmi release in 2012?
Jannat 2, Shanghai and Raaz 3.
Which role in 2012 earned Emraan Hashmi a Filmfare nomination?
His role as the videographer Jogi Parmar in Shanghai, nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
Who directed Awarapan?
Mohit Suri, Emraan Hashmi's cousin. It was released in 2007.
Who is Emraan Hashmi married to?
Parveen Shahani, whom he married in 2006.
What is Emraan Hashmi's book about?
The Kiss of Life (2016) describes his son Ayaan's fight against cancer, which was diagnosed in 2014. Ayaan was later declared cancer-free.
Was Raaz 3 a hit?
Yes. It was one of the earliest Hindi horror films released in 3D and did well at the box office.