Emraan Hashmi says life changed overnight after son’s cancer diagnosis: 'He passed blood in urine'

Over a career two decades, Emraan Hashmi has portrayed diverse characters, ranging from intense lovers to being an anti-hero and a strong survivor. But while the on-screen roles allowed him to prepare thoroughly, off-screen, nothing prepared him for what happened in real life. In 2014, one afternoon changed his world and made him see success, control and certainty in a completely new way. In an interview recently, Emraan Hashmi recently spoke about the most painful time in his life when he found out that his young son, Ayaan, had cancer. That moment still shapes who he is today, not as a star, but as a father.

Emraan Hashmi recalls the day everything changed

The actor opened up about one of the most heartbreaking moments of his life, the day his world changed forever. He recalled how a seemingly ordinary afternoon suddenly turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. During his chat with Ranveer Allahbadia, Emraan shared, “The most difficult phase of my life was when my son fell ill in 2014. And I can’t even express it in words what that phase was. It went on for 5 years. My life changed in one afternoon. On 13th January, we had gone for brunch. We were eating pizza with my son. The first symptom was rubbed on that table. He passed blood in his urine. In the next 3 hours, we were in a doctor’s clinic. The doctor said that your son has cancer. You have to get him operated in O.T. the next day. And then you have to undergo chemotherapy. So my whole world flipped in a matter of 12 hours."

Emraan Hashmi shares lessons learned from pain

Emraan Hashmi said what made that time even harder was that life had finally started to feel normal again. Things seemed steady and good before everything suddenly changed. “You can say that there is a high point in your life. And it felt like I’ve got it now. I’ve got my grip on life. Then suddenly you get a kick in the face. It happens," he said. The next five years were full of hospital visits, treatments, and constant worry. Emraan has shared that those years taught him what truly matters — being present, patient, and thankful. That experience also motivated him to write a book to help other parents going through something similar. Now that his son is healthy and doing well, Emraan looks back at that time as the hardest but most life-changing phase of his life.

Emraan Hashmi’s latest work

On the work front, Emraan Hashmi is currently getting praised for his performance in the latest series ‘Taskaree’. Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”