The best Emraan Hashmi movies are Murder, Gangster, Awarapan, Jannat, Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, The Dirty Picture, Shanghai and Hamari Adhuri Kahani, along with his recent work in Haq and Awarapan 2. Together they show an actor who moved from the “serial kisser” tag of his early years to serious, layered roles.
Hashmi made his lead debut in 2003 and became one of the most dependable names of the 2000s, often with Vishesh Films and music-led thrillers. In recent years he has also taken on villain roles, OTT series and courtroom drama. This updated list adds two of his newest films. For more star profiles, see our people section.
Quick list
| Film | Year | His role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | 2004 | Sunny | Anurag Basu |
| Gangster | 2006 | Akash | Anurag Basu |
| Awarapan | 2007 | Shivam Pandit | Mohit Suri |
| Jannat | 2008 | Arjun Dixit | Kunal Deshmukh |
| Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai | 2010 | Shoaib Khan | Milan Luthria |
| The Dirty Picture | 2011 | Abraham | Milan Luthria |
| Shanghai | 2012 | Jogi Parmar | Dibakar Banerjee |
| Hamari Adhuri Kahani | 2015 | Aarav Ruparel | Mohit Suri |
| Haq | 2025 | Abbas Khan | Suparn S. Varma |
| Awarapan 2 | 2026 | Shivam Pandit | Nitin Kakkar |
1. Murder (2004)
This thriller about an extramarital affair that ends in violence was a major hit and made Hashmi a star. Mallika Sherawat and Ashmit Patel co-starred.
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Its songs, composed by Anu Malik, were everywhere that year. The film also fixed his early screen image as the charming, morally grey lover.
2. Gangster (2006)
In Anurag Basu’s romantic thriller, Hashmi plays Akash, a man who befriends a gangster’s girlfriend, played by Kangana Ranaut, in Seoul. Shiney Ahuja plays the gangster Daya.
His character’s hidden motives give the film its twist. The music by Pritam, especially “Ya Ali” and “Bheegi Bheegi”, remains popular.
3. Awarapan (2007)
Hashmi plays Shivam, a gangster’s loyal enforcer in Hong Kong who risks everything to free a trafficked young woman. Directed by Mohit Suri, it did only modest business on release.
Over the years it gained a large fan following for Hashmi’s restrained performance and its soundtrack. That following is the reason a sequel was made almost two decades later.
4. Jannat (2008)
Set against cricket match-fixing, Jannat follows Arjun, a small-time hustler who rises through illegal betting but wants a clean life for the woman he loves.
It was a commercial success and was followed by Jannat 2 in 2012, a story about illegal arms dealing with Hashmi in a new role.
5. Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai (2010)
In this 1970s gangster drama, Hashmi plays Shoaib Khan, an ambitious young criminal who challenges his mentor Sultan, played by Ajay Devgn. The character was widely seen as loosely inspired by real underworld figures.
Hashmi holds his own opposite Devgn, and the film’s dialogues by Rajat Arora became widely quoted.
6. The Dirty Picture (2011)
Vidya Balan leads this film inspired by the life of South Indian actor Silk Smitha, and she won the National Award for Best Actress for it. Hashmi plays Abraham, a serious filmmaker who is first critical of her and later understands her.
It is a supporting role, but a mature one, and the film was both a critical and commercial success.
7. Shanghai (2012)
In Dibakar Banerjee’s political thriller, Hashmi plays Jogi Parmar, a small-town videographer who stumbles on evidence linked to the killing of an activist. Abhay Deol and Kalki Koechlin co-star.
With paan-stained teeth and a nervous manner, he was almost unrecognisable. Many critics count it as his finest performance.
8. Hamari Adhuri Kahani (2015)
Hashmi plays Aarav, a hotel businessman who falls for Vasudha, a married woman played by Vidya Balan, whose husband has been missing for years.
The film is a slow, emotional love story, and it showed Hashmi in a softer, more grown-up romantic role.
9. Haq (2025)
This courtroom drama, directed by Suparn S. Varma, pairs Hashmi with Yami Gautam. He plays Abbas Khan, a lawyer in a case about a divorced woman’s right to maintenance, inspired by the Shah Bano case of the 1980s.
It was praised for its performances and its balanced handling of a sensitive legal subject, and it marked a serious turn in his recent work.
10. Awarapan 2 (2026)
Hashmi returns as Shivam Pandit in this sequel directed by Nitin Kakkar, with Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi. It released on 14 August 2026.
The film earned about Rs 21.9 crore net on day one, his biggest opening, and crossed Rs 200 crore gross worldwide, according to trade figures. Reviews were mixed on the script, but critics widely praised Hashmi’s performance.
His other recent work
Beyond these films, Hashmi played the villain Aatish Rehman in Tiger 3 (2023), led the Disney+ Hotstar series Showtime (2024) and played a BSF officer in Ground Zero (2025). He also made his Telugu debut in They Call Him OG (2025). In January 2026, he starred as a customs officer in the Netflix series Taskaree, created by Neeraj Pandey. For more on OTT releases, see our entertainment section.
Frequently asked questions
What is Emraan Hashmi’s best movie?
Critics often pick Shanghai for his acting, while audiences favour Murder, Gangster, Jannat and Awarapan.
When was Awarapan 2 released?
Awarapan 2 released in cinemas on 14 August 2026.
Which web series has Emraan Hashmi done?
His series include Bard of Blood (2019), Showtime (2024) and Taskaree (2026).
What is Haq about?
Haq is a courtroom drama about a divorced woman’s fight for maintenance, inspired by the Shah Bano case, with Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi.
Sources: Emraan Hashmi filmography (Wikipedia), Awarapan 2 (Wikipedia), Taskaree (Wikipedia).
