SpotboyE.com caught up with John Abraham on Monday (August 1) evening, 3 days after Dishoom had a dhamakedaar opening at the box-office. The meeting was arranged at the actor’s Khar office and we found him in a buoyant mood -- justifiably so. Talks have already begun at Sajid Nadiadwala’s office for Dishoom 2, which, if made, will once again have John leading from the front. We settled for the chat with steaming hot cups of tea in our hands. Check the video (above) and read the copy to see what transpired during this thoroughly enjoyable chat...
Dishoom is doing very well. How exactly are you feeling?
I am feeling very good. I saw the film on the edit table and thought it was very strong in terms of entertainment value. So, I am happy that my feelings have been validated. Sunday saw a big jump in the numbers, despite rains. We sat with the studio (Eros) just a short while ago, and they said in 3 days, we’ve had a loss of Rs 4 crore because of rains all over India. The Mysore circuit was closed. Bangalore and Gurgaon were also completely shut. Some parts of Maharashtra were also affected. We could have done a Rs 41 crore business over the weekend, but nevertheless, we are at Rs 37.5 crore approximately. But for me, numbers are not that important. For me, the question that matters is, has Rohit (Dhawan, director) made a good film? Yes, he has, in terms of entertainment.
You are happy, but would you say that you are also relieved? You’ve seen some ups and downs recently…
If you look at my trajectory from 2010, there were Force (2011), Housefull 2 (2012), Race 2 (2013), Shootout At Wadala (2013), Welcome Back (2015)… all the films I have done, barring Rocky Handsome, have been hits. Dishoom is also a hit. So, my success ratio has been high from 2010. Rocky Handsome hurt me the most, because I had a lot of faith in that film, I still have a lot of faith in it. But it didn’t get the numbers. I have always said this, actors are like beggars who are constantly looking for appreciation. So, I am happy and relieved about Dishoom.
Will you call Dishoom your film? You are leading from the front, while both Jacqueline (Fernandez) and Varun (Dhawan) are like your admirers...
To begin with, I think it shows the security of the director and the Dhawan family. We all had the script in our hands and Rohit was very clear that he wanted to make this film. It has Kabir Shergill (John’s character) of the Special Task Force. He is on a mission, and then he meets Junaid Ansari (Varun’s character). It shows the security of Varun... he read the script and said, ‘I want to play this role’. And the script obviously went past David (Dhawan). We all held hands and we all wanted to do it. I feel happy that the chemistry between Varun and me has worked.
Were you a little worried while signing this project, because Varun has a crazy fan following, he is younger…
No, because, Rohit was very clear that he wanted to make a film between a man and a boy. And he was very clear that he wanted someone with a physique like me to play Kabir. He also wanted Varun to play the funny guy. Varun has fantastic lines in the film, but there was no insecurity. I’ll tell you why: I have worked with Rohit on Desi Boyz (2011) and honestly, I love him. He is very honest and clean. I have seen directors become corrupt in their head after a little success. But Rohit has remained uncorrupted.
He is still the same as in Desi Boyz?
Yeah, and through the entire promotion, Varun has been in touch with me throughout, David has been in touch with me. So, I think I belong to the family, the family belongs to me.
Signing ke time toh theek hai, but once the project is complete, did you fear getting shortchanged? Was there any insecurity towards the end?
Never, I promise you.
So, full marks to the Dhawan family..
Full marks to the Dhawan family, full marks to Rohit. He is the captain of the ship. Not once did I ask Rohit ki mera role kya hain aur Varun ka role kya hain. That’s my blind faith in him. I just asked him if I could do certain variations. As an actor, you want to try out some variations and he said ok… that’s all. This one of the few films where starting from pre-production to shoot, to post-production and promotion, there’s absolutely been no controversies. It’s been a beautiful process, a beautiful relationship.
That translates on screen also… that’s one of the reasons why the film is a success.
Absolutely. There’s this last scene where I hug Varun and I won’t meet him again. I think that is beautiful.
He turns his face away and…
Yeah. And I say, ‘Main soch bhi nahi sakta ki main yeh kehne wala hoon, but I will really miss you’. It’s beautiful… these things really work and I am really very grateful to Rohit for giving me an opportunity again.
Was it necessary to do the trunks scene?
Rohit said, ‘If I have John and Varun, I want a scene where they both are stripped down to their underwears’. Many people felt that scene is the highlight of the film -- with Akshay Kumar coming in. Imagine a macho cop, a no-nonsense cop Sameer Qazi (Akshay’s character) asking Kabir to take his pants off and he is doing it conveniently (smiles). When you look at it in the context of the scene, it was fun and easy. And I think a majority of the audience enjoyed seeing Varun and me like that. We trained really hard for that scene.
What did you do?
Abs...today, everybody has abs. But I told Varun that’s it’s important he trained his legs, his upper body -- shoulders, chest…You need to have a wholesome physique. It has to look beautiful, like a beach body. We trained together and I think the scene looked very pleasing, it didn’t look vulgar. And, Akshay made it really funny.
Tell me one scene which you found difficult to do…
Shockingly, it was the most obscure scene. In the end when Jacqueline’s character tells me, ‘Mat peeyo cigarette, tumhe abhi testicular cancer hua hain’, I look at her, I look at him (Varun), I smile and throw the cigarette away. That scene was very tough, because the sun, at 44 degrees heat, was straight on my face. I had to give an expression of I am beginning to like her, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. We had to keep shooting till the sun moved up a bit.
What are your future plans? Is John maneuvering his career differently now?
No, my plans stay the same. I’ve got Force 2, a film that’s very close to my heart. It’s been inspired by a true-life incident. Some people felt that Dishoom didn’t have a lot of action. Action means, they wanted to see me in hand-to-hand combat. Force 2 has got massive amounts of that. So, it’s something I am really excited about. I have got a great
co-star in Force 2 -- Sonakshi (Sinha). I am very happy and honoured to work with her. And, I have got a great director in Abhinay Deo. After that, I have signed nothing. Seriously, why don’t we do a poll on SpotboyE.com and ask people -- and I really need advice -- the kind of film I should sign next? Should I do action, comedy or action-comedy? I’d like the readers of SpotboyE.com to know that my favourite genre is comedy. I love and enjoy comedy, but I love action, too.
That’s strange. We think action comes naturally to you…
Action does come naturally to me. But if you see Garam Masala (2005), Desi Boyz, Housefull 2, Dostana (2008), Welcome Back… these are my 5 comedy films and all have been hits. Comedy is something that is so easily digestible by the audience. And I feel very happy doing it.
You said you didn’t feel insecure with Varun, but has that been the case with others as well?
Yes. In fact, on the way here, I was thinking why Akshay and I can’t work together again. Because, we make the best pair. Abhishek (Bachchan) sent me a message after he watched Dishoom and he said, ‘John, as much as I hate sharing you with anybody, you and Varun were really great together’ (smiles). Both Abhishek and Akshay told me at the screening, ‘John, this is the best you have looked in your career’. And I asked Abhishek, ‘Better than Dostana?’ And he said, ‘Way better’. So, it comes as an encouragement that 7 years down the line, I can still look fit and feel good about myself. I have never had an insecure moment with any of my co-stars.
You had become bulky sometime back...
In Rocky Handsome, I was leaner, but in Force, I was massive. But during that movie, my director Nishikant Kamat told me, ‘John, I want you to look like a machine, like a truck.’ That’s the reason I built that kind of a body.
Are you going with that look for Force 2 as well?
No, in Force 2, I am going to be far leaner. We are going to shoot my introductory scene in the film on September 1. That scene will have my body shot. So, I have almost a month to train. I’d love to train and post my training videos, because I want people to see how I am going to transform for the opening shot of Force 2. Usually, Varun and I get 100,000 -- 1,50,000 views on Instagram. But for my workout videos, I got 3,50,000 views. Somehow, when it comes to workouts and fitness, I go through the roof.
So, what exactly are you doing? How different will you be in Force 2, compared to Dishoom?
In Dishoom, I have a regular body, even though people felt it was tough. In Force 2, I want every muscle fibre coming out. I want to be completely shredded, because you can’t show your body in the rest of the film. Woh body wali film nahin hai. But in the opening sequence, you can show it once. So, that opening sequence has to be impactful and for that, I am going to get ripped.
What exercises are you doing?
I have changed my routine. I am going to go into a lot of functional, core, TRX.. to the point where this morning, I vomited in the gym. I felt like throwing up and I ran to the washroom. I told my trainer, ‘Boss, ulti karke aa gaya’. And he said, ‘Chal, ho gaya na ulti? Ab aur karte hain’. That’s the way we train, there’s no excuse. At 103 degree temperature, I was still training. I train like a beast, I train non-stop.
Isn’t it risky at times?
No, if you do it the right, systematic way. If you see, my body has remained consistent.
Nowadays, we see actors putting on weight and losing it suddenly -- Aamir Khan, Salman Khan. Will you do it?
It’s amazing that they do it at this age, I don’t know how they do it. But in my case, I can’t do it; I don’t have the ability to suddenly put on and lose weight. For me, it takes a lot of time to put on weight, because, I have a tendency of losing weight. So, if I don’t work out for a month, I will lose 5 -- 7 kilos. So, just to maintain my weight, I have to train and have protein. But I have had a consistent body throughout my career -- from Jism (2003) to Dishoom -- except Force, where it went massive. I like keeping my weight consistent. I like being fit 365 days of the year. For example, in Rocky Handsome, there’s a scene where I am
Doing Tai Chi -- bare-chested. That scene was supposed to be done wearing a T-shirt. Director (Nishikant) ne kaha ki, ‘John, yeh jo scene hai na, bina T-shirt ke kar lete hai’. Now, director bol raha hai, camera set-up hai, mere paas ek saal toh nahi hai. 2 mahine bhi nahin hai, toh kya karoon? T-shirt utaar diya maine and that’s the look you saw. That’s a clean body, completely ripped. I like that and I don’t do it to show off, I do it so that my audiences see me, get inspired and say, ‘Yeh aadmi itna disciplined hai, itna kuch karta hai apne body ke saath, uski jo lifestyle hai, that’s also fantastic’.
Does this lifestyle mean, ‘Raat ko aap chocolate nahi khaoge, aerated drinks nahi peeyoge?
I have not had an aerated drink in 23 years. Kaju-katli barfi is my favourite. When I was young, my mom used to get it for me everyday. But I have not had that in 19 years. I don’t drink alcohol, because I don’t like its smell. I don’t do drugs, because, I am very anti-drugs. And I don’t know what will happen to me if I see someone around me do drugs -- I’ll probably go mad. I smoke in films. Unfortunately, for a role, you have to smoke. But I don’t smoke in real life. I always tell people that smoking is bad for health. People look at your lifestyle and your habits. My habits are clean and people say, ‘Nahi yaar, yeh to 4.30 am ko uth ke training karta hain. 9.30 - 10 pm tak so jaata hain’. People say, ‘John, you are very boring. Aap na toh red carpet events pe aate ho, na Page 3 pe aate ho, na film awards mein aate ho, na shaadiyon mein naachte ho. Kuch nahin karte ho aap’. I say, ‘Principally, mujhe yeh sab karna pasand nahin hain. Doosra, mujhe jaldi sona hain’.
Don’t you think you need to be seen sometimes?
I don’t think so. Personally, my belief is, I have lasted in this industry without doing that. So, why should I change now? And, I have great goodwill. I have made such a good friend in Sajid Nadiadwala. Karan Johar is close to me; someone else I deeply love and respect is Aditya Chopra.
All three are responsible for a lot of careers mushrooming in the industry...
Absolutely.
You have taken the 3 best names…
Outside of them also, there are many people I share a beautiful equation with. Kabir Khan -- I have a lot of love and respect for him. Ali Abbas Zafar (Sultan director) met me the other day. He was my first AD on New York (2009). We hugged each other and there were tears in his eyes. Goodwill is more important than anything else. I get along with everybody. When Dishoom trial happened, I called everyone -- Tiger Shroff, Sidharth Malhotra, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sooraj Pancholi, Sonakshi…
Go on...
I genuinely feel from my heart. Agar aap negative sochoge na, ‘This person is my competition’, somewhere down the line, it will show in your behaviour. In my heart, I feel we can only complement each other. Which is why, I am very happy… I would like to work with all these guys.
What’s happening on the gym front? You wanted to start one in Prabhadevi…
I have very big plans on fitness. I’d like to tell the audience of SpotboyE.com that my plan is not only gym, it is beyond that. It’s going to be everything for everyone, so that you guys can transform yourselves. My main aim is to make a difference in someone’s life. Recently, I got someone down from 139 kilos to 69 kilos. I made him lose 70 kilos and that’s a lot of weight to lose. But he was disciplined and he listened to me. I always tell people, ‘If you want my advice, then you can’t cheat on me. You are accountable to me. I would like to train trainers in at least dietary habits and nutrition. Some trainers need help in form when they train other actors.
Trainers need to be fitter, you mean…
Some trainers need to be fitter, and there’s nothing wrong with it. Even I am learning. I am also a student of fitness, but I would like to train some people in form because, when they go and advise an XYZ actor, mujhe pata chalta hai screen pe dekh ke ki abs toh hai, but iske shoulders weak hai, legs bahut hi weak hai. Toh, how to improve that? I am that kind of a person who feels very happy when I see a good body on screen. I have no insecurity. In fact, I feel it should be even more better. I come from a different space and a lot of actors see that in me. That’s why they find it very happy to hang around with me.
What about your production house? How are you taking it further?
Fortunately, I have someone who was heading the development of films at Yash Raj (Films). She also wrote Neerja (2016) -- Sanyuktha Chawla. So, if anybody out there has interesting stories, JA Entertainment is always open to good ideas. We want to make different stories, different scripts. We want to create more Ayushmanns (Khurrana) in this world, because, I think he is extremely talented, we need more people like him.
What else is happening in your life?
Force 2 is happening. Just like Matt Damon has got Jason Bourne, Sylvester Stallone has got The Expendables, Rocky and Rambo, Arnold Schwarzenegger has got the Terminator, Vin Diesel has got Fast and Furious, John Abraham has got Force. It’s my identity. Force is John Abraham, John Abraham is Force. Force 2 is boom! It’s about power, intensity, speed, it’s about everything I stand for. I think Force became even bigger post its release. People now look up to Force and say ‘Wow! That’s a benchmark film’. I want Force 2 to be better than that.
Image Source: Manav Manglani, Indiaforum & facebook/TheRealJohnAbraham