Mohit Suri says he would work with Emraan Hashmi ‘at the drop of a hat’; says, ‘He is my elder brother’

‘Awarapan 2’ has created strong buzz since its official announcement by Vishesh Films on April 21, 2026. The sequel stars Emraan Hashmi and Disha Patani, but Mohit Suri, who directed the 2007 original, will not return as director. In a new interview, Suri has now said he was never offered the sequel, while also speaking about his long creative bond with Emraan.In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Mohit Suri said he was not approached to direct ‘Awarapan 2’. “I was never actually offered it before, that's all. I think they wanted to work, but it's not that,” he said.Suri added that he would still work with Emraan without hesitation. “I would work with Emraan at the drop of a hat. The problem with him is that I've done eight films with him. He knows me so well. I have to give him a role; I can't just hustle him into doing some part. But I think it will be more beneficial for me than for him.”‘Awarapan 2’ was earlier expected to release on April 3, 2026, before being pushed to April 14, 2026. The film could clash with Sunny Deol’s ‘Lahore 1947’. Unlike the first film, the sequel will be directed by Nitin Kakkar.Suri also reacted to Emraan Hashmi’s viral scene in Aryan Khan’s ‘Ba***ds of Bollywood’, where Raghav Juyal’s character says, “Akkha Bollywood ek taraf, aur Emraan Hashmi ek taraf.”“That scene was kicka**,” Suri said. “I think what Raghav was actually doing is what I've accomplished all my life.”He added, “Emraan is my elder brother. We actually grew up together watching the same films.” Suri said Emraan was his “first hero” and his hero for eight films.Suri also spoke about Emraan rejecting Rahul Jaykar’s role in ‘Aashiqui 2’. He said Emraan felt the film needed new faces and joked that the actor was tired of dying in his films.‘Awarapan’, released in 2007, had a weak box-office run at first but later became a cult favorite, thanks to Pritam’s music and Emraan’s performance.