Syed Emraan Anwar Hashmi (pronounced [ɪmraːn ˈɦaːʃmi]; born 24 March 1979) is an Indian film actor who appears in Hindi films. He worked as an assistant director for the 2002 horror film Raaz before pursuing a career in acting. By 2004, Hashmi had established himself as one of the leading actors of Hindi cinema with roles in the successful Murder (2004), Zeher (2005), Aashiq Banaya Aapne (2005) and Gangster (2006). However, he followed it with roles in films that underperformed at the box office before starring in the acclaimed drama Awarapan (2007).