It’s all about guns, gangsters and gore

John Abraham and Emraan Hashmi team up for Mumbai perhaps giving movie goers the next immortal pair

Saga,

Director Sanjay Gupta’s new gangster tale is all set to hit the theatres on 19 March 2021. The film, whose story reveals the 1990-transformation of Bombay into Mumbai, features John Abraham in the role of Amartya Rao, who wishes to rule the city. Emraan Hashmi will be seen donning the avatar of a cop. But if the actor plays an upright cop or a corrupt one, we need to watch the movie to know it, John tells us.

Off late, John has taken up subjects that ignite patriotic feeling and has been associated with action films. However, this Sanjay-Gupta directorial appears to be an out-and-out massfilm — a cat-and-mouse-chase story that has entertained audiences for years. That being said Sanjay Gupta appears to have brought something new through this film, we are told. When asked about Mumbai Saga and its mass-appeal, John tells us that he believes one must do films that relate to a universal audience and not just a few people.

“This film reaches out to the masses. I saw what

Manya Surve and

Sanjay did for me.

The film will be relatable with a very large section of audience, especially the mass audiences because when you are in the interiors of India, they really remember these characters—they are memorable,” says John,

In fact, according to John, filmmaking should consider all kinds of audiences instead of making something just to trend online. “We try to cater to a very small audience and get scared of criticism only on the net. The biggest fear in my life is that I will trend (online). If I trend, I know I’m a joke, so I want to stay away from this trending business and really want to reach out to the masses instead,” he adds.

But John, whose forthcoming films include Attack and Satyamev Jayate and are gearing up for an Eid release, is coming back to doing gangster films after giving a string of patriotic films in the recent past. “As I see it, Mumbai Saga has given us an opportunity to go back to the masses, which is where we belong. For people like me, my career was made on screens, so why can’t I reach out to them? I’d rather go back to them and cater to these audiences. And I enjoy playing gangster with Sanjay; in fact, with him it is like an autopilot for me,” states John with a chuckle.

As the interaction concludes, we ask him if we will see John and Emraan coming together in another film again in the near future. With a smile he says, “Yes, we would definitely like to work together again.”

The biggest fear in my life is that I will trend (online). If I trend, I know I’m a joke, so I want to stay away from this trending business