Shriya Saran recalls her heartbreak over Awarapan’s box office failure and reveals why Emraan Hashmi always loved the story despite its initial flop show.
Nearly two decades after its release, Mohit Suri’s 2007 crime-drama Awarapan has evolved from a box office disappointment into an enduring cult classic, keeping buzz high around its upcoming sequel, Awarapan 2.
Reflecting on the original film’s initial struggle, lead actress Shriya Saran, in a recent interview with Pinkvilla, candidly opened up about her heartbreak over its failure and how the movie eventually turned into a timeless fan favorite over the years.
Recalling how she got the role, Shriya shared that Mohit Suri approached her for a look test after watching one of her previous movies. She remembered feeling extremely excited, especially because Emraan Hashmi was deeply attached to the project and truly loved the storyline.
“For Emraan, that film was very important. And he always loved this film, this story,” she was quoted as saying.
Shriya mentioned that working with Mohit was an amazing experience because of his unique and passionate way of directing. Instead of just explaining the dialogues, he would walk his actors through the deeper emotions, the exact thought process behind writing the scene, and how it fit into the overall picture. She felt that his intense approach helped bring out raw, honest emotions from the cast.
However, when Awarapan released in 2007, the low box-office numbers left the team deeply disappointed.
She told the publication, “When the film came out, and we all had lots of hopes with it. But I don’t know why, I think it was ahead of its time.”
Shriya admitted that the poor response was hard to understand, as she truly believed the story was ahead of its time and deserved to be celebrated. What made it even more confusing was that fans kept telling her how much they loved the film, even though people had not shown up to watch it in theaters. She even remembered getting nominated for awards during that phase, yet not receiving invitations to attend the ceremonies, which felt quite disheartening.
With time, social media helped Shriya realize that the film had built a lasting legacy that went far beyond box-office collections. Seeing fan edits, clips, and dialogues continuously trend on Instagram made her realize how deeply people cared for the movie. While she initially assumed that the popularity was purely due to its chartbuster music and Emraan’s standout act, she now believes that audiences truly connected with the soul and emotional weight of the story.
For Shriya, the overwhelming love Awarapan receives today proves that a great movie always finds its rightful place in the hearts of viewers.
Awarapan follows Shivam (Emraan Hashmi), a tormented gangster who is sent to spy on his boss’s mistress but ends up protecting her, confronting his past love, and seeking redemption through sacrifice.
