Wanted to transform Emraan's image in 'Bard of Blood', says Shah Rukh Khan

Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who has backed the upcoming Netflix India Original "Bard of Blood", says the team wanted to turn around the image of its lead star, Emraan Hashmi.

The seven-episode series, based on Bilal Siddiqi's bestselling book of the same name, features Emraan as an Indian intelligence agent.

"Initially, we were joking about how Emraan's image is going to turn a serial kisser to a serious kicker. Emraan is a tough guy.

"Kabir Anand's character is that of someone who is not in-your-face tough, but has a macho personality and works with his mind plus there is a physical ability of an action hero and I think that mix perfectly fits Emraan," Shah Rukh said in a statement.

The 53-year-old star believes Emraan is a wonderful actor and said he "likes his zone of being extremely underplayed easy when he does it".

Emraan underwent some rigorous training for the role of a spy who is on a hostage rescue mission.

He will be seen playing Kabir Anand – a man who knows the terrain and politics of Balochistan inside out, is settling into his new life as a professor who teaches Shakespeare, the statement read.

A brilliant agent who served under the recently murdered Sadiq Sheikh, Kabir was expelled from IIW because of a disastrous mission in Balochistan a few years ago.

He must now revisit those ghosts, avenge his mentor and face his deadliest enemies back in Balochistan while racing against time to save the four agents of IIW who are held as hostages.

The series also features Viineet Kumar, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jaideep Ahlawat, Kirti Kulhari and Rajit Kapoor amongst others.

"Bard of Blood" starts streaming from September 27.