I NEED TO WORK 24/7: JOHN
A ‘selfconfessed workaholic’, Abraham says he hasn’t ‘taken a holiday in the longest time’ but he isn’t complaining
Not just on the sets, he has fought his way through off the sets as well (in the Bombay High Court) visà-vis the release of his next, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran. “It’s like I will be giving birth to my child on the May 25,” says actor-producer John Abraham with a laugh, as he talks about the film which is based on the true story of how India conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1998. Incidentally, 2018 will also see him completing 15 years in BTown. We catch up with him about life, career and more.
To start with, this year, you complete 15 years in the industry. How has the journey been?
At the end of the day, you must have self-conviction as there are enough people around to tell you that you are probably not worth it. But you have to tell yourself that you are worth it. Fortunately, my audience also stood by me through thick and thin. With a few people in the trade, my audience, and conviction in myself, I have reached here and now, it’s only going to get stronger and better. I’m also excited about my journey ahead, and I know I will get better, fitter, faster and stronger. At the risk of sounding very excited but not boastful, I can say that I have got a very strong line up.
Talking of lineup, your next, Parmanu looks like a tough film…
Absolutely! My director Abhishek Sharma and I wanted to shoot the film in a way that gives the feel of the that time period. So, we went for recce in May last year, and started shooting from May 31. We worked in temperatures ranging from 50-52 degrees and sometimes even 55 degrees, and that too under lights. Abhishek and I wanted to shoot in that atmosphere and ecosystem as we really wanted to go through the process and the entire credit goes to all my cast and crew. They all stood by me. So, it’s been a great and fantastic experience.
Also, what’s your state of mind now after having gone through all the legal troubles with the film?
I am happy and relieved; and am thankful to the honourable high court as well as Justice SJ Kathawalla for validating what I have gone through. But there’s no point slinging mud in public. Parmanu is a very credible film. For us, all our stars were burning bright as the court passed a judgement on May 10, and we launched the trailer the next day at 3.45pm, which is the exact time and day that the tests happened 20 years ago. So, somehow everything seems to have fallen into place and we are all excited.
Personally, what are your memories of the Pokhran tests?
Honestly, I want every youngster to watch this film. I am confident that we will have a senior audience, who will see it but I want every youngster, who feels that it’s cool to be Indian to know that it’s all because of what happened on May 11, 1998. We often misconstrue a nuclear test with just a bomb but India wanted to be a self-sustaining nuclear power nation that would take care of its own electricity and energy etc. We were dissuaded by the United States of America in 1995 and they threatened to put sanctions on us, but we knew what was best for us, so we went ahead with tests.
After having seen heights of stardom and success, what keeps you going?
My motorcycles (laughs). Jokes apart, what excites me the most is playing a different character every six months. It’s easy to play myself in every film, but when I play an Ashwath Raina in Parmanu, or a Veer in Satyamev Jayate, multiple parts in RAW and someone else in another film; it makes me wake up every morning with excitement. I’d die if I wasn’t working. I need to work 24/7. I am a self-confessed workaholic. I haven’t taken a holiday in the longest time and sometimes, it does take a toll but at the end of the day, I love my work.
What made you pick up such a challenging subject (Parmanu) in the first place?
Abhishek and I always wanted to work together. One day, he came to the office and narrated a 12-pager to me, which I loved. We both wondered why this story was never made into a film. Then, we developed the film in-house with screenplay writers, Saiwyn Quadros and Sanyukta Chawla Shaikh.
Personally, what was your idea behind it?
Firstly, I didn’t want to make a patriotic or jingoistic film. The idea was to make a film like Argo (2012), a commercially entertaining, engrossing and edge-of-the-seat thriller. But at the end of the day, you walk out [of the theatre] with tears in your eyes and proud of being an Indian. That sense of patriotism is a by-product.
Are you relieved about the film’s release, since the release date was pushed a couple of times?
Actually, we started shooting Parmanu on June 1, so the film has taken less than a year to release. Technically, it’s not delayed. The perception of a delay has been built, because of the December and February release announcements, but I wasn’t a party to either [of those announcements]. Yes, we announced March 2 and that’s when problems vis-à-vis cash flow started. But ultimately, we have got a fantastic date.
You must be really satisfied...
There’s a huge sense of pride. It’s like Parmanu is my child, and I will be giving birth to it on May 25. I feel very proud to be the parent of this child, as I have fought for its custody. So, right now, there’s a sense of elation, relief, vindication, validation and everything rolled into one. On the last day of the shoot, I was happy and relieved that we have pulled off one of the toughest shoots.
Over the last 15 years, have you become more confident?
Yes, I am far more confident as an actor today. I know the nuances of what works for me and what works with the audiences. I love that I kind of understand that space, but it’s still always a learning process. I feel safeguarded as an actor, more so with my production house, because things are more under my control. As an actor and producer, I’ve matured and I love my space and journey.
When is a film like Welcome Back or Garam Masala coming up?
I would love to do a film like that. I am a big fan of directors like Anees Bazmee, David Dhawan and Sajid Khan, and I love their cinema too. On one hand, there is the producer side of me that makes a particular kind of films, but as an actor, I want to go all out, enjoy myself and have fun. Having said that, Parmanu is very commercial with great songs, etc.