'Being such a senior actor, he never made..': Taskaree's Nitin Rao OPENS up on experience with Emraan Hashmi

Actor Nitin Rao, who is currently earning praise for his performance in the recently released Taskaree, has spoken about his experience of sharing screen space with Emraan Hashmi. The actor, who was earlier seen in the blockbuster Darbar alongside Rajinikanth and in YRF’s period drama Samrat Prithviraj, is now winning hearts with his powerful on-screen presence and choice of varied roles.

As revealed by IANS, Nitin opened up about working with Emraan Hashmi and highlighted how the senior actor’s humility and professionalism made a lasting impact on him. He shared that despite Emraan’s stature in the industry, there was never a sense of hierarchy on set, which made the creative process smooth and collaborative.

“Working with Emraan Hashmi was a very comfortable and enriching experience. Despite being such a senior actor, he never made me feel that hierarchy on set. From day one, everything felt natural and organic. We had a lot of of conversations, and our scenes flowed effortlessly.”

He further spoke about how Emraan’s calming presence helped him perform without any pressure. “There was no nervousness or hesitation from my side because he creates a very relaxed environment around him. His calm and restrained approach helped me stay present in the moment, and our performances naturally fed off each other.”

Working with Emraan Hashmi was a very comfortable and enriching experience. Despite being such a senior actor, he never made me feel that hierarchy on set. From day one, everything felt natural and organic. We had a lot of of conversations, and our scenes flowed effortlessly.

- Nitin Rao

Talking about why Taskaree was an immediate yes for him, Nitin shared his strong emotional connection with the project, “Taskaree felt like a homecoming for me. I had previously worked with the same production house on Kaun Pravin Tambe?, so there was already a sense of familiarity and trust. When I came in for the audition, everything clicked naturally - both sides felt I was right for the role. What excited me most was how different this character was from what I had done before.”

Drawing a comparison between his earlier roles and his character in Taskaree, he added: “In Kaun Pravin Tambe?, I played Abhi Koravela, a real-life character who was soft-spoken, gentle, and calm Taskaree, my character operates at the ground levelof Mumbai's smuggling network - rough, tough, and deeply entrenched in crime, where violence and execution are just part of the job. That contrast really intrigued me. It gave me a chance to explore a completely different side of myself as an actor and showcase my versatility, which is why I immediately said yes to the project.”

In Kaun Pravin Tambe?, I played Abhi Koravela, a real-life character who was soft-spoken, gentle, and calm Taskaree, my character operates at the ground levelof Mumbai's smuggling network - rough, tough, and deeply entrenched in crime, where violence and execution are just part of the job. That contrast really intrigued me. It gave me a chance to explore a completely different side of myself as an actor and showcase my versatility, which is why I immediately said yes to the project.

- Nitin Rao

Reflecting on how different the role is from his real-life personality, Nitin shared, “I am very different from this character. In real life, I'm calm, positive, and deeply connected to yoga and mindfulness. Playing someone who thrives in chaos and violence was a complete contrast - almost 180 degrees from who I am.”

He concluded by expressing satisfaction with the response he has received so far, “That's what made it exciting. I wanted to experiment and push myself out of my comfort zone. The response I've received so far has been very encouraging, which reassures me that the risk was worth it.”