Emraan Hashmi, who is all set to play Mohammed Azharuddin in the upcoming movie titled Azhar, went all out to prepare for this role to the extent that he shadowed the former Indian cricket captain for months. The actor's hard work definitely paid off as he was able to study Azhar's behavior and nuances both on and off the field.

While shadowing the former Indian captain, Emraan even got a special opportunity to have a look at Azhar's personal photo collection which included priceless photos from Azhar's teenage years, photos with his grandfather and even intimate ones of him with his former teammates in the Team India dressing room. When asked about the time he spent shadowing Azhar, Emraan said, "It was kind of Azhar to open his home and heart to us, literally, while making this film. He instilled his trust in the team and shared memories with us that are unknown to the world and pictures that are unseen, yet reveal so much about his life`.


Directed by Tony D'souza, Azhar is based on the life and times of one of India's most loved cricket captains, Azharuddin and chronicles his rise and fall as country's most controversial sportsman yet. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri and Lara Dutta along with others. Produced by Ekta Kapoor, Shobha Kapoor, N. P. Singh and Sneha Rajani, the film is slated to release on May 13th, 2016. It is Balaji Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Networks' production.