John Abraham hopes to cash in on Dubai’s Expo2020 win

It’s not often you meet movie stars who genuinely connect with their fans and indulge their trigger-happy acts, or those who remember you from your last interview eons ago.

John Abraham belongs to that rare breed in the celeb world.

He might’ve achieved immense success and adulation after stripping onto the Indian celluloid with a racy act in erotic thriller ‘Jism’ a decade ago, but that change in destiny has not impacted his personality and he continues to remain incredibly grounded and honest even outside the Bollywood frame.

It’s his middle-class upbringing that he credits for keeping things in perspective.

“I really owe it to my parents,” he admits. “I never say no to people when they ask for photographs. I enjoy meeting them.”

True to his word, John indulged his fans when he was out to indulge in a bit of retail therapy at the Dubai Mall.

“Every store I went to, I was standing outside and getting clicked. It almost felt like I was endorsing the store,” he quipped.

While John’s open about pretty much anything, he’s firmly guarded about his new ladylove (Priya), and dodges questions about his supposed marriage with long pauses and a dimpled grin. “Errm. I will probably make an announcement soon,” he manages after much prodding.

Dressed in crisp, formal attire and toned by 15 kilos, John quickly shifts focus on his future plans and how Dubai features rather prominently in it, while work on Anees Bazmee’s roaring madcap comedy ‘Welcome Back’ unfolds at the Jumeriah Zabeel Saray.

“Historically I know how big the Expo is,” he explains. “From when it was introduced in the 1860s to now, it’s a big deal. Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was made for the Paris Expo?

“Economically, Dubai is on an upswing with the Expo. Architecturally I love this place because it gives you a free-hand to build whatever you want to.  I was shocked and awed by the way the Burj Al Arab was built in the middle of the sea.”

Dubai’s Expo2020 win is prompting John to plan a business investment here.

“I’d probably take a business approach. Also, Dubai is pretty much a mirror market to Bombay even for films. So, I’d look at being a part of the economic upswing that exists right now.

“I honestly think Dubai is a great city. It’s a melting pot of the world. It’s where you are allowed to be as liberal, and know where to draw the line. And, I think the guys here have just got it right. I think it’s a very receptive and progressive place.

“I’d like to invest here for all the right reasons. I don’t think investing in real estate for privacy is one.”

John’s in Dubai for a couple of weeks for work on ‘Welcome Back’.

He steps into the shoes of the original ‘Welcome’ hero Akshay Kumar. Although such exercises would’ve sparked off another Bollywood rivalry, John insists there’s no love lost between him and Akki. In fact, he considers Akshay to be the best actor in comedy.
 
That’s not all, John shares a special bond with the entire cast of ‘Welcome Back’, having worked with the powerhouse performer Paresh Rawal in ‘Garam Masala’, the veteran Anil Kapoor in ‘Shootout at Wadala’ and ‘Race2’, and the versatile Nana Patekar in ‘Taxi9211’.

“I’m a big fan of Anees Bazmee. I believe that there’s a certain kind of cinema that is pretentious. And, a certain kind that’s unapologetically unpretentious. Anees belongs to that school. Be it ‘No Entry’ or ‘Welcome Back’, they are both in that sphere. And, I’m very happy to be here.”

Even though, as a producer he might choose differently, considering his home productions – ‘Vicky Donor’ and ‘Madras Café’ – were unconventional.

“I have a problem when Indian cinema becomes pretentious. And, we create proposals rather than films. So, we have five songs, one hit song and create some crap and call it a film. I think that frustration, in a way, and my natural progression as an actor lead me to becoming a producer.

“I think we are evolving, at least a few of us. And, I wanted to be the face of that change as a producer and as an actor.”

His gamble and foresight has paid off, immensely.

‘Vicky Donor’ and ‘Madras Café’, which were both turned down by numerous film studios in Mumbai, went onto become huge box-office grossers and were applauded for their impeccable texture.

The impact has been tremendous, with John claiming that “people take me a lot more seriously now. When I tell them I have a film that’s different, they sit up and listen”.

Although John prefers to take far great risks as a producer, he claims he’ll continue to strike a healthy balance with his acting performances.

“I think ‘Madras Café’ has opened a whole new bandwidth for me as an actor. I was so consumed about being a producer and the kind of film I was making that I really forgot about my performance. People have told me that I’ve done a great (acting) job.”

Despite being bracketed as just another “good-looker”, who wouldn’t survive in the industry for long, John, who has worked in 37 films and produced two, has proved his detractors wrong.

“I have pretty much passed that stage of appreciation and criticism. I’m looking at the bigger picture now.”

He will now create movies on a much larger scale. “I would like-minded producers and distributors to form studios. We often take a lot of credit that the business of our cinema is growing, but we have to understand that the quality hasn’t improved. It’s the nature of the business that has changed. I feel the only two films that made an exception this year were ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ and ‘Madras Café’.”

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