Emraan Hashmi Goes Undercover as Customs Officer in Neeraj Pandey’s Taskaree
During a recent media event, Emraan Hashmi humorously addressed his past as a 'serial kisser' while promoting 'Taskaree: The Smugglers Web.' Despite the light-hearted banter, Hashmi is focused on his evolving career, showcasing his versatility through diverse roles that challenge his previous typecasting.
By : Lipika Varma
Update: 2026-01-08 17:33 GMT
After a stellar performance in Haq, Emraan Hashmi will be next seen in Neeraj Pandey directed series, crime thriller, "Taskaree: The Smugglers Web."
In the show, Hashmi will be playing Arjun Meena, a customs officer who leads to a dismantle of global smuggling network. The series offers nuanced take on heroism highlighting restraint, courage and discipline rather than a loud bravado. Hashmi's character, a calm, observant, constantly a step ahead, marking a departure from many of his previous roles.
Over the years, Hashmi seems to have consciously worked to move beyond the “serial kisser” tag, choosing diverse roles that highlight his versatility.
However, the media couldn't resist poking fun at the actor's past image at a media event, asking his co-actor, Zoya Afroz if she'd "kiss and control" him. To which Hashmi laughed, saying he's controlled himself on screen, a remark that drew laughter.
At the event, Emraan Hashmi addressed a range of questions from the media, responding to both serious and light-hearted queries.
Excerpts
At first glance, your character seems nervous. What is he really all about?
I don’t want to give too much away about the character right now. I’d rather let the audience experience it through the show. What’s interesting is that the writing itself is full of surprises—it’s embedded in the DNA of the series.
What makes this thriller different from others?
It’s very hard to surprise thriller audiences today because they’re always one step ahead. They know when a cliffhanger or twist is coming. I’m a thriller fan myself, and when I read the episodes, I was genuinely surprised multiple times. There are fantastic cliffhangers throughout. That’s why I want Arjun Mehta to remain a mystery until people watch the show. I hope the surprises really land with the audience.
What’s one thing you’d smuggle?(Asked on a lighter note)
Emraan (laughing): You’re getting me into trouble now. I’d smuggle a lot of things. Neeraj already knows the answer. It’s between us. And I’ll never reveal it—especially since I’m travelling internationally right now!
Have you ever been stopped at the Green Channel?
Not really. Customs officers have generally been very sweet with me. But there’s always that irrational fear—like when you’re driving perfectly well, but panic when you see a traffic officer. Early on, when I travelled alone, I’d feel like I was carrying contraband even if I had just clothes. So that fear was there for a few years. Which is dumbfounded. It’s not really anything logical. I got called out at immigration checks very early on, when I used to travel alone. Maybe something about the earrings that I wore then.
And Now?
Now they see me with my sweet family, so they kind of don't suspect me. These days, travelling with family helps! Again, early on, in the early 2000s, I used to get whisked away on the side quite a bit. It's called profiling. I fit the bill of something or someone. I don't know who that person is, but yeah.
Since it’s a four-hour thriller, are there songs ?
Emraan (laughing): When I first heard the narration, I actually asked Neeraj to put a song in every episode. Even a tune! He almost threw me out of the office. But no—it works without songs. The background score is excellent.
Is there any love story in the show?
I did see a bit of a love story—after all, the cast is beautiful. There are two very beautiful women, so of course there’s some romance. And with me around how can there be no love drama.
What kind of preparation went into playing a customs officer?
I’ve travelled a lot, and after signing the show, I consciously observed customs officers and spoke to several people. The show is extremely well-researched. The entire team had been ideating this for almost 2–2.5 years. Custom officers rely heavily on reading people—their body language, behaviour, and patterns. This is one law enforcement department that hasn’t really been explored in films or series before. We’ve seen police, army, BSF stories—but this felt like a completely new world.
What fascinated you most about this world?
The sheer ingenuity of smuggling techniques. We read about seizures in newspapers, but the methods shown here are on another level. It’s a well-oiled system—from intelligence to profiling to execution. Some moments genuinely made me laugh in disbelief at how creative and innovative these operations are. That’s what makes this show special—you’ll see things you’ve never seen before.