Emraan Hashmi believes that characters in 1990s and early 2000s cinema were largely one-dimensional, contrasting them with the more layered and nuanced roles now possible, particularly on OTT platforms. He finds strictly defined heroes and villains boring, preferring characters with grey shades that are more relatable and offer more depth for actors. Hashmi credits the evolution of storytelling and audience maturity for this shift, noting that the lines between heroes and villains have blurred significantly in the past decade.