The Most Down-To-Earth Superstar!

Shubarna Mukerji Shu: John Abraham is a superstar who always delivers at the box office. Even though he has never been touted as a great actor, he has always been appreciated for his sense of cinema. Be it Madras Café, Parmanu, Satyamev Jayate or his latest film RAW – John Abraham is all set to give the audience what they like. We sat down the man himself, for an exclusive tete-e-tete with Bollywood Insider.

John Abraham is a superstar who will remember your name, your driver’s name…and even your long deceased pet’s name even if you meet him after years. Not because he wants to prove something, it is simply because he cares. He cares enough to make people feel special, to make an effort towards making a difference to people he meets and the society around him. He is the most down-to-earth superstar in B-town. With his latest release RAW (Romeo Akbar Walter) around the block, we shooed out the recluse in him and brought out the charmer.

 

How do you manage to remember so much about the people you meet? Given you meet at least 50 new faces every day!

As you said you meet people, you see them, you speak to them. I don’t meet fans; I meet people. I don’t meet them thinking if I am polite to them, they will go watch my films. I meet them, greet them, hug them because I like it. I like knowing backstories, I like knowing who is in their family, I like to help them if I can and so on…. It is about me, yet, there is no ulterior motive. It just comes naturally to me. Maybe because it is so effortless, I can do it.

 

It is this inherent goodness that keeps multiplying the blessings for you, can you imagine your most awaited film  Romeo Akbar Walter is set to release at a time when the patriotic fervour is heightened with the series of events that have happened in the country, what a perfect release date….

We planned this film a year in advance, we always knew it would  resonate with the sentiments of the nation. Having said that, what  has happened in Pulwama is very unfortunate; we don’t want to dilute the tragedy and the pain by associating it with a film that  never had anything to do with it to begin with. We were working on RAW for a year, as I said earlier, we had no idea that something so unfortunate would happen in our country around the release of our film. Our prayers are with our soldiers as is our pride  in them. Let’s leave it at that; it would be very opportunistic to try and take advantage of the national sentiment right now.

 

We respect your sentiments, and cannot help but notice that off  late, you have been doing many films which resonate patriotism, in different aspects but the sentiment remains.

My team knows I am a big India lover; I believe I attract scripts like these.  When this story happened to come to me, I just had to do it. I remember when Robbie Grewal (Director) came to narrate the script to me, he wasn’t sure if I would be interested but he believed so much in the script that I don’t think it mattered to him if I believe in it or not, because he believed in it enough. When I heard the script, I was totally blown over; I knew it was a film that just had to be made.

If tomorrow there is a great patriotic film script that comes to me, I would love to do it all over again, but I would not like to do jingoistic cinema. I am not anti- any other country. I am not anti any other religion, I am very pro-secular and I would like to do films that show the true nature of this country.

 

Off-late the buzz on social media is all about  making patriotism popular once again. What is your comment on that?

Today the national sentiment is such that we  are proud to be Indian, and I think this is truly the new India. So, if we make films about it, what’s the harm? Look at Hollywood, they make fantastic war films glorifying their soldiers, so why can’t we? I think it is a great time for India, for us and even the audience. Studios are backing different kinds of projects, different kinds of thoughts which is great and enjoyable for the audience.

 

Unfortunately, jingoism is often mistaken for patriotism in Bollywood, how did you all make certain that you steered clear  from it in RAW?

I give complete credit to Robbie here. He comes from an army background, his family has been in the army, he is very responsible with the way he has told the story. It is a very objective film. There is no one bad or good in the film; it is just how you look at the scene. We are not depicting anyone as bad in the film. It is a story about a spy that goes to the other side, that is all…

 

Are you prepared for the comparisons that will come your way, given we recently had a period film about a spy who went to the other side as well – RAAZI !

It is a very different film from Raazi; it is a very different film from what has been made thus far and that is the reason I have agreed to do it. You cannot compare it with other films that have been made. It is a special film; the amount of research gone into making this film authentic is commendable. It was a lot of hard work, a lot of sweat but I believe it is what makes the film what it has become. In today’s day and age, when you are making a film based on true events, you cannot just go ahead and make it on a whim. You need to get your facts correct; you need to ensure that you are not misinterpreting something or worse, leaving room for misinterpretation. You need to be sure about what you are talking about, and we have made that effort. It is a fantastic film that reflects the hard work gone into making it. So please watch it.

 

I have never seen you praise your own film as much, are we supposed to understand that this one had finally met your expectations.

You are someone who knows me for the past 15 years. You know I am the last person to be sitting at an interview praising a film I have made; if I am sitting here today telling you that go see the film, that in itself will tell you that I feel confident about it. I know one thing for sure, anyone who sees the film will come out knowing the whole truth about what exactly happened in 1971. There is nothing remotely untrue or irresponsible in this film.

 

It is not an easy character you play in this film. Did this character take a toll on you?

From the time that I started my career to where I am today, I would like to believe that I have graduated as an actor, learning every day from everybody. I would like to believe I am getting better at tackling characters. Despite the years I have put in as an actor, this film drained me emotionally, physically but it was worth it. The whole process that he goes through, the emotions that he goes through has come across beautifully in the film. I really believe that you are only as good or bad as your director makes you, and I really think we have made something really special.

 

You have been doing a lot of action films; I know personally there was a time you had tried to break away from that image but it didn’t work out for you…shall we assume that you are giving up?

It is a fact that my audience appreciates me doing action films, so I will always be doing it in some form or another, after all we make movies for people to come to the theatres and see it. So I would like to give the audience what they like. As for what I want to do, I will never give up on my dreams. I will keep trying, failing perhaps but getting up and trying again.

 

Off late, actress Kangana Ranaut has been targeting her colleagues for being irresponsible and not commenting on social, political issues. What is your take on her statement?

If actors are politically aware then actors should make comments about politics, else one should not. I keep telling my friends, come what may but you should not be stupidly talented. You cannot be an idiot who doesn’t know Bihar from Syria and sit there making comments about the world. What you are good at is smiling at the camera; please continue showcasing only that talent. It is best not to make a statement if you are not aware of what’s happening around you.

As an actor, I think Kangana is phenomenal, she is very well aware too, so it is great that she is going out there and wanting to talk but expecting everyone to do it will not be wise.