Emraan Hashmi to headline comic-caper Sab First Class

Last seen in Jeetu Joseph’s suspense thriller The Body (2020), Emraan Hashmi is set to return to comic space after a long time. The actor has announced his comeback to the genre of comedy with a new film titled Sab First Class. Balwinder Singh Janjua, who has previously developed scripts for Anurag Kashyap’s Saand Ki Aankh (2019) and Anees Bazmee’s Mubarakan (2017), will helm the project.

Hashmi is thrilled about Sab First Class. Talking about the film, he says, “The film is a hilarious yet sensitive story about how the protagonist can go to any length to fulfill his needs. In the bargain, he may lose his family, his standing in society, and gets caught in a situation he cannot find his way out of. Balwinder’s script is a laugh riot, but has its poignant moments as well.”

When asked about what led him to rope in Emraan Hashmi in a comedy film, director Balwinder Singh Janjua says, “From the beginning of his career, Emraan has not shied away from bold or negative parts. He has been stereotyped due to his past roles. When he heard the narration, he realised that this is the right script to break the image.”

He goes on to add, “I had been working on the script with my writers Rupinder Chahal and Anil Rodhan for a while. I happened to meet a friend to catch up, and he heard the story and thought why not set up a narration with Emraan. It is something he has never done. I jumped at the prospect and said Emraan is outstanding for the role. We worked on the script and tightened it up and tailored it for him. As soon as he heard the script, his body language indicated that he was on. Although he wanted to sleep on it as any actor should. We did a few sessions on video conferencing as well, which is unlike anything I have ever done before. A week or so later Emraan called me with suggestions and his thoughts. He was on and we were super excited. Emraan is an actor with so much untapped potential. He has been stereotyped with his past roles and when he heard the narration, I think he realised that this is the right script to step out of that image with. He is a very funny guy in person and has an ordinariness that is very endearing. I think it will translate well onto the screen.”