Sharib Hashmi: Show gave me the recognition I sought

A still from the series

One of the many highlights of The Family Man is the easy camaraderie between Manoj Bajpayee's Srikant Tiwari and Sharib Hashmi's JK. Two seasons in, Hashmi has made JK his own - an unassuming and efficient spy, always ready with a wisecrack or two. The actor acknowledges that the much-loved spy thriller has put him on the map. "Through The Family Man, I got the kind of recognition that I was seeking after Filmistaan [2012]. The show boosted my confidence, and put me in a happy zone emotionally," he says, elated to have won a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Series category of the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards.

Raj-DK's web series took the Internet by storm when it premiered in 2019, setting the bar high for the follow-up. The sweeping success of the second edition was a pleasant surprise for Hashmi, who says, "We never had any pressure with the second season, because we started shooting for it even before the first season released. We were working passionately. We knew we had a great story, but we never thought that season two would surpass the first season."

While the actor has long played supporting roles in movies, he credits OTT offerings - with their innovative content - for putting the spotlight on him. "OTT is liberating because everybody gets a chance to shine in a show like this. Here, you don't have the time limitation that a film does. So, you have the time to establish other characters, and every character gets their moment of glory. OTT has given me a new lease of life."

Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards

Sharib Hashmi has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Series category for The Family Man 2. The other nominees are:
>> Aftab Shivdasani (Special Ops 1.5)
>> Amit Sial (Maharani)
>> Dino Morea (The Empire)
>> Gajraj Rao (Hungama Hai Kyon Barpa, Ray)
>> Pavan Malhotra (Grahan)
>> Sunil Grover (Tandav)
>> Vaibhav Raj Gupta (Gullak S02)

Log on to www.radiocity.in/hitlistawards to cast your vote.
You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.
Voting lines close on March 18.