The guy who romances the sexiest women on-screen looks a tad worn out. "I’ve flown in from Kolkata and haven't had much sleep. And before I leave for Delhi and Jaipur, I must party in Hyd!" he smiles that familiar smile before settling down for a tete a tete. For a moment, let's revert to flashback mode: He's the outsider in the industry, he's not a Khan, he's done some deviant films like Murder, Gangster and Jannat and at the height of ascending his popularity mountain, he tied the knot! In town to promote his new mystery film with director-cousin Mohit Suri and producer Mahesh Bhatt, Emraan says, "Hyderabad is an important destination for Bollywood. Weirdly though, I've had strange experiences here. The first time, I was kissed by a man, the next time by a girl and on my third trip, I was swooned by the cheerleaders of the local team!” The serial kisser tag refuses to leave him. Or, does Emraan keep it alive? Of late his kisses seem to be on the wane. In Jannat, he hardly got to peck. "I’m consciously moving away from that image. I have brought down the passion in my kisses (the twinkle in his eyes is all too familiar though!). It's worked for me but.... Sometimes, it's put for superstitious reasons!" he confesses. In his forthcoming sequel to a mystery, Emraan plays a painter who can look beyond the immediate. While Emraan has fared well with thrillers, his tryst with comedy hasn't been that great. At least not after Good Boy Bad Boy. "I agree. And it's even made me cautious," he says sounding unperturbed. He's also not perturbed by the display of six pack and eight pack abs by the Khans. He flexes his muscles and says, "I'd never like to be like them. I don't have to look up to them, compete with them or emulate them... It's easy to be me." With two more releases set for this year – Tu Mile and Raftar, he's happy with the way his career is moving. And says that his confidence comes from not getting slotted and doing movies he believes in. But the more immediate thing racing his mind – and you can see it – is catching up on sleep. Well, it's hard to pin the title of a 'star' but as you go down the elevator and see the long queue of girls waiting to meet him, you know he's got that something. He knows it too.
