Emraan Hashmi's Awarapan 2 has turned out to be a massive success at the box office. The film has changed the industry's perception of his theatrical pull, proving that audiences are still willing to come to theatres for an Emraan Hashmi film. This success has been widely welcomed across Bollywood, particularly by colleagues who have worked closely with the actor over the years and have long hoped to see him reclaim a prominent position at the box office.
Among the most vocal is director Kunal Deshmukh, who has collaborated with Emraan on memorable films such as Jannat, Jannat 2, Tum Mile and Raja Natwarlal. Having directed him in four of his five films, the director described this success as long overdue. “Emraan is one of those actors who has delivered great performances one after another but hasn’t had that big box office hit in a while. All of us close to him felt it was always around the corner,” Kunal told Bollywood Hungama.
In the 2000s, Emraan established a distinct screen identity through intense romantic dramas and crime thrillers, backed by memorable music and morally conflicted characters. Awarapan 2 brings some of that identity back while presenting him as a mature action star. Its success shows that a star whose peak was almost two decades ago can rebuild his theatrical relevance without needing to become a different actor. Kunal gives the credit to Emraan for believing in himself and staying true to what his fans want from him.
“A big reason behind this film’s success has been how he has fathered it. He made it happen; it was his brainchild and his belief that people want to see him in this avatar, even though the first one hadn’t made as much money. To be able to understand what your core fans want and then translate that shows he has come a long way,” the director said.
Kunal and Emraan's association began with the 2008 romantic crime drama Jannat and has since evolved into a close personal friendship. “He is one of my closest friends, and that friendship is independent of work,” shared the filmmaker. “We have grown much closer over the years. I have seen his kid grow up; we have celebrated holidays, birthdays and festivals. He is more like family.”
The success of Awarapan 2 has also revived interest in Emraan's other popular franchises. Producer Vishesh Bhatt recently confirmed that they are now exploring bringing back the much-loved Jannat franchise, with Jannat 3 already being written. While Kunal doesn't want to speak about it as it is still too early in development, he reflects on what made Jannat work. He said, “I think it was bloody really fresh at the time. Unusual hero, fresh storytelling. It wasn’t just us that made Jannat successful – there were Vishesh Films, Pritam, and all the HODs. Everyone added something beautiful to the story. I do feel we had nothing to lose; no grooves were set. There was great freedom and risk-taking in what we did.”
Looking ahead, Kunal is keen to reunite with Emraan again and promises, “Whatever the film is, it will be special.” For now, however, the director is busy with the post-production of his upcoming musical romance, Diler, starring Ibrahim Ali Khan and Sreeleela. The Maddock Films production is eyeing an early 2027 release in theatres.
Also Read: From Awarapan 2 To Gunmaaster G9, Emraan Hashmi’s next act looks interestingly well-timed
More Pages: Awarapan 2 Box Office Collection , Awarapan 2 Movie Review
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