John wants to be a mover and shaker
The actor’s gearing up for his Indian Independence Day release, ‘Satyameva Jayate’
with director Milap Zaveri (second from right) at the From producing Indian cinema’s first ever film on sperm donation (Vicky Donor )to giving an insight into the iconic nuclear test of Pokhran, supermodel-turnedactor-producer John Abraham has proven that he is more than just a pretty face. His last release Parmanu — The Story of Pokhran had a successful run at the box office, and he is now gearing up for the Indian Independence Day release of Satyameva Jayate.
“We just had five days of promotion for Parmanu... and I am really glad how the film sustained in the theatre for so long, and not only earned money, but respect too. I think the best promotion for a film is the film itself. As an actor-producer, I really want to change our Indian cinema so that people gain that faith to invest time and money on a Friday to go to the theatre to watch a film produced by [my banner] JA Entertainment,” said Abraham.
After Satyameva Jayate, Abraham has two important projects lined up — Batla House and Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW). He says both the movies will give him the ‘Satyameva Jayate’. opportunity to prove his potential as actor and producer. “I know for a fact that Batla House is a movie that has a superb story and shows today’s India exactly the way it is. People can either like the film or throw it on my face, but the fact is I am making a statement with that film. As a producer, I know what do I really want to do and associate myself with,” he said. From his 2003 debut film Jism, an erotic thriller, to some successful films like Dhoom, Water, Taxi No. 9211, Kabul Express and Dostana, Abraham was mostly appreciated for his well-built body and strong screen presence.
Was that the reason why he wanted to shift the focus of the audience to his intellect by producing some meaningful cinema? “Yes, you can say that. Every time, people called me to say how amazing I was looking in the film. As an individual, I am very shy to take the compliment. And as an actor, I was not getting the films that I wanted myself to be associated with. That was the initial reason why I started working towards becoming a producer,” said the actor, who holds a degree in business management.
Asked if having good education helped him to become a better film producer, Abraham said: “As a creative person, I go by instinct but then my business knowledge helps me to execute the creative idea in a commercially viable way.
Satyameva Jayate releases in the UAE on August 16. —IANS