MUMBAI: In a friendly chat with Sharib Hashmi, an actor who has recently been making waves in the entertainment industry with his marvellous work in the Family Man and Filmistaan

1. How has your journey been so far?
The journey has been no less than a roller-coaster ride for me! Filled with lots of ups-and-downs, I have had the opportunity to enjoy a fair and balanced share of highs and lows. The experience has been enriching and exciting and I am thankful to God for giving me the confidence to dabble in different career options. I started as an Assistant Director, and then went on to become a writer, and now I am an actor. Deciding to pursue a career in acting changed my life completely and I am glad that I decided to take this step. The plunge presented me with great opportunities in the form of movies and series such as Filmistaan & Family Man.

2. Tell us about TechLOlogy superstars and what is your role in the property
TechLOlogy Superstars is a unique concept and a great initiative by Taiwan Excellence. The theme ‘Comedy meets Technology’ caught my attention as it is extremely fresh and has not been done up until now. I mean, it is for the first time that someone is exploring the fun side of technology at such a large scale. As soon as I heard about it, I knew I wanted to be a part of it and luckily the team approached me to be a jury member, and needless to say, I immediately agreed to go for it. These days we see tech everywhere and with each day it is becoming equally complex. I think it’s a great platform that provides opportunity to upcoming and aspiring artists to showcase their talent in front of millions of people through the internet with promising prize money of INR 2 lakh. As a jury member, I will be judging the contestants and I really look forward to it, as TechLOlogy Superstars and I, we both believe in encouraging and supporting new talent.

3. Your thoughts on today's stand-up acts and open mic sessions.
I feel that stand-up acts and open mic sessions are a very brilliant idea to showcase your talent in front of thousands of people. If you have something to say or express open-mic sessions helps you to practice and gain confidence, and if the content is good it will also help you to build a loyal base of audience. Stand-up comedy has evolved over the time and has come a long way. During our time, this was not possible at all because no one knew about it. We only saw artists like Johnny Lever, Raju Srivastav who used to do stand-ups, in the form of mimicry. Earlier, stand-up comedians were referred to as mimicry artists. Gradually shows like The Great Indian comedy show & Great Indian laughter challenge and many more shows like these made stand-up comedy mainstream entertainment.  It slowly started getting fame and became a household name, from which it kept growing year after year. Now it has become a big profession that aspiring people to become a standup comedian today. When we talk about standups today, comedians do their acts using technology for e.g. they will talk about dating apps, the new gadgets, online shopping etc., in that sense comedians don’t go far from technology. In a way TechLOlogy Superstars is a right blend which makes for a great platform for the young generation to express themselves.

4. Does the magic of cinema get affected by the digital medium, given the current scenario?  
I don’t think the magic of movies will ever die, even in the digital era; movies are crossing 300+ crores in the box office. I believe that if you have something good and engaging to offer, viewers will go and watch it in the theatre. Both can co-exist together because a ‘cinema-experience’ is something that people will pay for. To go to a movie hall, and sit with strangers, yet, to laugh, cry, and applaud together. The magic of cinema will live forever along with technology and digital the cinematic experience will also boom. Both will go hand in hand to create an exemplary cinematic experience.

5. Tell us about your upcoming projects?
I am working on few projects, one of which is a movie, Phirse Shadi by Rashmi Sharma Productions, and another is on Voot which I have finished. There are more interesting projects in the pipeline, will definitely share more information once I confirm on things.