Sharib Hashmi may have broken out with his role of top spy Srikant Tiwari’s sidekick JK Talpade in Raj & DK’s popular espionage thriller show The Family Man on Amazon Prime Video in 2020, but not many are aware of the long 15-year struggle that he put in to get there. Working at MTV in the early 2000s for a monthly pay of Rs 25,000, Sharib decided to quit the job and pursue his dream of becoming an actor just five years into his marriage.
“It was a very difficult decision,” recalled Sharib in an interview with Hauterrfly. He admitted he couldn’t have pulled it off without the consent and support of his wife, Nasreen Hashmi, with whom he’d tied the knot in 2003. They had already become parents when he chose to take the road less travelled. “If she’d said no, I’d have continued to lead my life like that, where there’d be nothing else besides work,” added Sharib, who had also bought a house in Mumbai on loan around the same time.
“But I was so confident of his talent. And he did work very hard. That’s why I wanted to support him. If you are happy, then do it,” recalled Nasreen. But the struggle went on for over a decade, which ended up drying up all their savings. “I sold my jewellery bit by bit. We couldn’t continue with our house either and had to sell it. Then I had to sell the house from my inheritance. Every time, we got excited by an opportunity, but then an obstacle would crop up,” said Nasreen.
Sharib Hashmi, who played multiple characters on popular prank show MTV Bakra (which he also wrote) for six years, made a promising debut with a minor role in Danny Boyle’s 2008 Oscar-winning Hollywood movie Slumdog Millionaire. However, that didn’t open too many doors for him as he continued to struggle through several Hindi films that didn’t land for the next three years.
“There was a point when we had zero money, not even enough money to last us another day. So, one day, I was just sitting outside a mall, thinking who should I call up in this crisis,” recalled Sharib. As luck would have it, the very next day, his friend from MTV days, Vaibhav Modi, roped him in to write a new game show for NDTV Imagine, Zor Ka Jhatka, which was hosted by Shah Rukh Khan in 2011. “When I would be at my lowest low, some help or work would show up at the door somehow and we’d manage to get by,” added Sharib.
Little did he know that the very next year, he’d share screen space with Shah Rukh in Yash Chopra’s 2012 romantic drama Jab Tak Hai Jaan. That year also got him Nitin Kakkar’s critically acclaimed movie Filmistaan. But the same struggle as an actor continued with his other films through the course of the next seven years. But help also arrived in the form of generous friends, including a childhood pal working at a grocery store.
Shah Rukh Khan and Sharib Hashmi in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
“Even when we didn’t have any money, we’d get all kinds of grocery supplies. Others may not get anything to eat, but we struggled on matar paneer,” recalled his wife, as Sharib cracked up. “So, there came a point that we owed him Rs 1 lakh. I called him up and said I wouldn’t be able to repay this time as well. He said such a beautiful thing. He said don’t think about that and just take whatever supplies you need. For me, that was such a big thing,” added Nasreen.
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But there came a breaking point in their lives when Sharib began doubting his decision and blaming his wife for the same. “There was a moment when he was very disappointed,” she recalled, as Sharib broke down. “And he started telling me, ‘Why did you allow me to quit my job? If you’d stopped me, then this crisis wouldn’t have happened.’ At that time, I was shaken. How can you say such a thing? It’s your dream, but we’ve supported you as a family. There should be no regrets. Don’t say such a thing again,” added Nasreen.
Another instance when she broke down was when they weren’t being able to pay their kids’ school fees. “So, there came a point when I thought I’d ask Sharib, ‘How much more time do you think you need to give this? Because your share of 15 years that you spent struggling are now past us. Now, we need to look after our children’s future as well. Their needs are increasing,’” recounted Nasreen.
Sharib asked his wife for another two years to follow his dream. Luckily, he landed The Family Man in that period, which ended up opening many doors for him as an actor. Sharib has since starred in popular films like Pagglait (2020), Vikram Vedha (2022), Mission Majnu, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, Tarla (2023), Fighter, Sharmajee Ki Beti (2024), The Diplomat (2025), and notable shows like Asur and Scam 1992 (2020), along with two more seasons of The Family Man. He’ll also be seen next in Priyadarshan’s thriller Haiwaan this year.
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“So, all the jewellery I’d sold by then, he slowly got all of it back for me. And he kept his promise,” said Nasreen. But the struggle for Sharib’s family isn’t over yet. As soon as he tasted professional success, his wife was diagnosed with aggressive oral cancer. Currently undergoing treatment, Nasreen continues to support Sharib with his professional choices and the dream to work as an actor.
