Emraan Hashmi: 'I can't get rid of kissing reputation'

Emraan Hashmi has admitted that he no longer cares about his "serial kisser" reputation.

The actor has been nicknamed by the press for his frequent romantic scenes in Gangster, Jannat and Aashiq Banaya Apne.

He told DNA: "The tag would never go. I tried to get rid of it, but it follows me everywhere. I have done so many films with it [kissing] and so many people went and watched those films.

"So probably they want to remember me for that. And if kissing is a great way to remember me, I have no complaints! My audience base is there and I can't change overnight."

He can currently be seen playing the role of a creative film director in The Dirty Picture, a biopic of South Indian actress Silk Smitha.

Hashmi said: "I am trying out different things in my forthcoming films. Hopefully it would be another dimension, which would change people's perception about me.

"I play a movie director who believes in artistic cinema. He is one who doesn't really give a damn about commercial viability of a film.

"He would rather make a film which critics will appreciate; he sticks to his guns creatively, never budges from his creative instincts of a film and the content of the film.

"It's a very different character that I haven't played before."

In June, the actor complained that he would rather be called "a serial killer" than "a serial kisser".