Years after Salman Khan’s confession, Emraan Hashmi says an actor uses awards as flush handle, door knobs at home | Bollywood News

Back in the 2000s, film award shows were a weekend ritual for Indian households — especially during the festive and New Year season. Watching Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Karan Johar host the ceremonies, seeing legends like Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, and Rani Mukerji in the audience, and laughing through witty on-stage banter made for memorable television. Audiences even had the thrill of voting for their favourite stars, and seeing them win brought a shared sense of joy.
But over the years, that charm has faded. What was once a celebration of cinema has now become, in the eyes of many, a transactional affair. Even celebrities themselves have begun to admit that these awards have lost their credibility. Emraan Hashmi, who has been part of the film industry for over two decades, recently opened up about this reality in an interview with Pinkvilla.
“Award shows are just an event now,” Emraan said. “There are over 20 of them. I have no problem with people attending or receiving awards, but over the years, they have lost credibility. Everyone knows — and I learnt early in my life — that if you perform at that event, you will receive an award for it. Once, I was even offered such a deal. It’s no longer about your craft; it’s become a barter system.”
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Calling this practice “delusional,” Emraan added: “I don’t want to delude myself taking that award and stashing it on my shelf, clapping for myself. That’s dishonest. If there’s something genuine, I will take it. Otherwise, it’s a waste of my time.” He recalled his early years attending these ceremonies, only to realise how draining they were.
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“In my initial years, I sat through these shows without ever receiving an award. I can’t sit through them anymore. I get a headache within 30 minutes. The performances, the endless speeches — it’s exhausting. Once I had to sit till 1 AM and ended up taking painkillers.”
Yami Gautam, who was also part of the same conversation, echoed similar sentiments. “As a newcomer, you grow up dreaming of one day being on that stage, receiving an award, giving your speech. I have practiced mine in the bathroom,” she laughed. “But once, my turn came at 2:30 AM, and then, the excitement had completely faded.”Story continues below this ad
Emraan then interrupted her with a humorous anecdote involving “bathroom” awards.
“Speaking of bathrooms,” he chuckled, “there’s this actor — I won’t name him — who used one of his awards as a handle for his bathroom flush. He realised early on what they were worth. His bathroom has door knobs and flush handles made of awards.” When the interviewer said that the statements were later denied, Emraan claimed: “I know someone who has seen it.”
Though he didn’t take any names, this immediately reminds you of the time when Salman Khan famously said he used film awards as door stoppers at home.
At a past event, when asked about his take on awards, Salman candidly shared: “I was never into awards. My reward is the love and respect I get from my fans. I once took the black lady only because it became awkward when Lolo (Karisma Kapoor) and Shah Rukh Khan called me on stage. I left it there afterward.”Story continues below this ad
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He went on to add, “We had so many awards lying around at home that once we used them as door stoppers. When there was no space left, we just threw them out.”
Despite his criticism, Salman clarified that he would continue to host and perform at such events — just not accept any trophies. “I have been in the industry long enough. I think the younger actors should get that boost. My films do well, and that’s my real reward.”
Summing up his thoughts, he said, “These award shows have lost their authenticity. It’s become too casual — if someone’s performing, give them an award. If someone’s close to the editor, flood them with trophies. It’s all about TRPs and sponsorship money now.”