‘I believe I am a big-screen hero’

Actor John Abraham has had a smashing year with two hits (Parmanu, Satyameva Jayate). While both of these were bigbudget action-packed films, John has also worked in other genres, including movies that might be called ‘indie cinema’ such as Water (2005), and in rollicking comedies such as Garam Masala (2005) and Housefull 2 (2012).

Given the range of his choices, the actor must be a movie buff himself, we ask. He replies, “I don’t watch a lot of films in the theatre. In terms of personality, I find Shah Rukh Khan really amazing, and I also love watching Aamir Khan. I do like the big screen experience, but I don’t get the time to watch.”

While he can’t make much time for big screen viewing, John believes that with the kind of personality he himself has, audiences should “consume” him on the big screen. “I believe I’m a large-screen hero, and if you need to consume John Abraham, you need to consume him on the big screen. If I had to draw a Hollywood example, it would be Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock, star of films such as San Andreas, 2015, and this year’s Skyscraper). You don’t want to watch the man on the small screen; he’s a bigscreen hero. In my head, probably at this point of time, I’m made for the big screen,” says John.

Does he watch his old films now and reflect on whether some were bad choices? “I try and see the good in those films, and wonder why [I did] those films or why someone would want me to work in them... I can mention the ones worth watching, rather than the ones that are not,” says the actor, whose next film is Batla House.

If I had to draw a Hollywood example, it would be Dwayne Johnson. You don’t want to watch the man on the small screen; he’s a bigscreen hero. JOHN ABRAHAM ACTOR

PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH John Abraham has had two big hits in 2018, and is now shooting for Batla House