On a warm Thursday afternoon we headed to a film city to catch up with Bollywood dreamboat John Abraham who’s shooting for David Dhawan’s Hook Ya Crook. In real life, the headturner exudes easy charm, flashes his trademark dimpled smile and settles down for an interview in between shots.
Exclusive excerpts from an interview:
This is the first time you are doing a film with Genelia D’Souza, who’s also a big name in Telugu films. What’s it like working with her?
She’s great to work with. She’s normal. It’s hard to find normal people these days!
You were injured while shooting for this film. Have you recovered completely?
Every third day I am hurt (shows a gaping cut on his finger).
Tell us more about your role in the film?
Okay, I play the role of Viraj, who loves cricket. Then an incident happens in his life that lands him in prison. When I read the first draft of the script written by Renzil D’Silva, I immediately knew that this was the kind of role I always wanted to do. When I came to know that David Dhawan was directing the film, I knew that this would be one laughter riot.
Is this film a sports-thriller?
I don’t know about this new genre, but it’s a fun prison film and there’s a lot of cricket in the film. The prisoners play cricket with passion –– it’s a fight between two gangs. I was coached by Dinesh Lad, Rohit Sharma’s coach. Dinesh is so dedicated that even when I am shooting, he calls me up and says, “John, practice ke liye aa jao!” He says he wants me to be the first star to play world class cricket. I also value the suggestions my good friend Mahi (MS Dhoni) gives me. I learnt how to hold the bat right, from him.
We hear you are on a special diet these days?
Well, I do have a diet and exercise regime. A gym has been set up for me with a treadmill, home gym, Swiss balls, mats, etc. The whole cast comes and works out at the gym. I eat egg whites in any form, tuna sandwiches, brown bread and pulsed tofu.
What’s your take on marriage and how does it feel like to be called the ‘Sexiest man in Asia’?
Marriage is an institution. It needs to be respected. Coming to the ‘sexiest man’ tag, I don’t think I’m ‘tha-a-a-t’ sexy. It’s a great compliment, nevertheless.
What are the films you are working on next?
I have plans of co-producing a film with Sabal Shekawat. It’s an action thriller, a genre I’ve never done before. And I’d love to do an Anurag Kashyap film any day.
Any Hollywood projects?
Is it important to do a Hollywood film? I’d like it the other way round — what about my films going international?
Filmmaker Deepa Mehta whose forthcoming film is the Preity Zinta starrer Videsh (earlier titled Heaven on Earth), has run into a spot of trouble with the Censor Board.
