May 192018
 

After a two-year lull since his last outing hit screens, John Abraham finds himself flooded with films. In an interview with Sunday mid-day, he talks about returning stronger every time he’s “written-off”

John Abraham
John Abraham

It has been two years since John Abraham last appeared on screen in an out-and-out actioner. Awaiting the release of his production, Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, John confesses he’s going to be seen in an avatar that’s distinct from the commercial ventures he’s been part of. He talks to mid-day about working on the venture, and dealing with criticism every time his films tank at the box office.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

Your last, Force-2, hit screens two years ago. Have you consciously picked fewer projects over the years?
The idea was to select the right kind of subjects; case in point being Madras Café. People feel, that has been my best performance, and that is because I lived the film for a long time. I was convinced about it, and it brought out the best in me. Similarly, Parmanu is a special subject. When we narrated it to studios [to get co-producers on board] they said they hadn’t come across such an interesting subject in the past few years. I didn’t want to rush and sign something. I’d rather wait for a credible film. I have never been in a hurry, and have been relaxed about my work.

Suddenly, your calendar looks full. Is it an interesting phase in your career as you have four films (Parmanu, Satyamev Jayate, RAW and a film on the Batla House encounter) lined up.
It is exciting. I am enjoying my work. I signed these films over a period of time. I will soon complete Satyamve Jayate, after which, I have a two-month-long schedule of RAW. I didn’t plan to do so many films at one time. I didn’t sign them together. Sometimes, when I count the number of films that I am doing, I get nervous, but at the end of the day, I feel content. Currently, I am in a secure space.

Did you always want to come on board as producer on Parmanu?
Yes, I knew on the first day itself that I’d like to produce this film. Abhishek [Sharma, director] and I wanted to work together for a long time. He came to me and said, ‘Let’s make a comedy.’ But I asked him if he had another idea too. He told me he had a 10-page idea. When I read it, it played out in my head. I decided to develop the script under my production. My team worked on it.

You have only a two-week window to promote your films. Postponing it would have given you sufficient time to promote it better. Was that not crucial?
When the verdict [against former co-producer KriAaj Entertainment] came out on May 10, I told Abhishek that we would release the film on May 25, and launch the trailer on May 11, as it was the same day that the nuclear test took place 20 years ago. The film will pick up due to [positive] word of mouth, we didn’t think of postponing it. Every Indian will be proud of it as this incident made everyone take India seriously. We have tried to stick to reality, and have not taken commercial liberties.

You will also showcase real footage in the film. Did you have to take special permissions to do so?
We researched with the entire cadre that has been through this in real life. We met people who discussed the issue with our then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. We narrated our script to them [his office], and they even made corrections to it. I also met Arun Jaitley, who was the defence minister when we started shooting the film, because we were shooting in Pokhran, and needed special permissions to fly drones there. We had to get a go-ahead from the Border Security Force, which we obtained. We applied for permission three months in advance and everyone was co-operative.

The kind of films that you act in are different from those you produce. Is that a conscious decision?
I turned producer because I wanted to be part of a certain kind of cinema. But, as an actor, I was hungry to do hardcore commercial cinema. My next film, Satyamev Jayate, is purely a commercial film. The idea behind running this production house was not to drive it with my star presence. If a film requires Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan, Rajkummar Rao or anybody else, I wouldn’t have any qualms in approaching them.

How do you take to criticism?
My obituary is written every year [laughs]. [It seems] everyone has the right to have an opinion about my film. There has always been a phase in my career where, when one of my films works, the next two won’t. But, I have survived for 15 years now. It is nice to be written off so that you can come back stronger with a vengeance!

You take pride in being known as an action hero.
I’ve always said that action is something I enjoy doing. I have always had a fascination for the genre and, coupled with my love for fitness, this genre comes naturally to me. At the same time, I try and bring a variety of it and don’t like to be repetitive. Being tough is not always about bullying others. It is about being protective and that is what I am all about. I am the most non-violent guy you would meet [smiles].

Also Read: When an army colonel took John Abraham to task on Parmanu sets

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May 132018
 

John Abraham says the industry was mute witness to the fracas with producer Prernaa Arora, despite their issues with her

John Abraham
John Abraham

John Abraham stands vindicated today. Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran — which was in a lockdown after JA Entertainment along with Zee Studios and Kyta Productions filed criminal cases against Prernaa Arora’s KriArj Entertainment alleging non-payment of dues — is set to hit screens on May 25. Last week, the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of Abraham’s banner, ceasing Arora’s association with the film.

Prernaa Arora
Prernaa Arora

Although several filmmakers have run into trouble with Arora, John Abraham rues that he found little support from the film fraternity. “Nobody came out to support me, nor did I expect anyone to do so. Everyone says, ‘Thank God, it’s not me.’ I have cleaned up the mess for a lot of people. It was all because I had the guts to stand up for what is right, credible and honest.”

Also read: Parmanu trailer: John Abraham’s film will blow your mind

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May 122018
 

John Abraham, who will be seen donning army uniform in his upcoming film “Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran”, says he stands by his actor friend Akshay Kumar’s decision to auction the naval costume he had worn in “Rustom”

Akshay Kumar and John Abraham
Akshay Kumar and John Abraham

John Abraham, who will be seen donning army uniform in his upcoming film “Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran”, says he stands by his actor friend Akshay Kumar’s decision to auction the naval costume he had worn in “Rustom”. Akshay and his wife Twinkle have been served legal notice and are accused of “playing with the sentiments” of the armed forces by putting up for auction a naval costume from his film “Rustom”.

“I am not going to be politically correct but I stand by him,” John told reporters here. The director of “Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran” Abhishek Sharma said Col Brijmohan Sharma helped the team with the research for the film. “Col Brijmohan Sharma was on board, he is retired now. He was in charge of the orientation test. He made sure everything from the army camp to the uniform and behaviour was taken care of,” Abhishek said.

“He did not care if someone was actor or not, he would just pull us up, saying, what is this? He was clear he wanted things to look clear,” John added. The 45-year-old actor-producer decided to go solo with “Parmanu…” after his production house John Abraham Entertainment terminated partnership with Kriarj Entertainment over material breaches and bad reputation.

Kriarj Entertainment, accused JA Entertainment for not fulfilling their commitment to finish the project. “At one point I called up Abhishek saying this is too much happening and he would tell me, look at the positive side, there is publicity. We would motivate each other as we have not done anything wrong, we are honest and it will happen right way. “It is difficult when someone points finger at you, at your company, you don’t like it. This film is like my child, you feel like turning around and tearing apart. I am not being violent. It has all ended well. My producers, cast and team is here and it is important to me.”

“Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran” was earlier scheduled to release in December 2017 but reportedly got delayed to avoid a clash at the box office with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmaavat”. The release was later postponed thrice owing to the dispute. And now it is set to arrive in theatres on May 25. “It is a fantastic film and I want audience to see the film. It is about your credibility and what you stand for. So we fought our way. Abhishek is a legal person and he stood by me. Everyone forgets controversies and everyone is going to talk about the film and its quality that will speak for itself. “If its good people will talk about it and if they don’t like they would not talk about it. We think we have made a good film. Thank you media for support. We don’t have the luxury of time but we have the luxury of fantastic subject,” John said.

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May 112018
 

The trailer of John Abraham’s film, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran is out

John Abraham
A still from the trailer. Picture Courtesy: YouTube

After the legal tiff between John Abraham and Prernaa Arora’s Kriarj Entertainment over Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, the much-delayed film’s trailer has finally been released. The makers of the film chose May 11 as the date to unveil the trailer, as this day marks 20 years of the completion of Parmanu testing been done.

Watch Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran trailer:[embedded content]

Before giving the audience an insight into the film’s trailer, the makers played the National Anthem and then showcased the trailer. Talking about the film’s release, John Abraham said, “Releasing a film is like conducting a nuclear test.”

Apart from John, also present at the event was Diana Penty. Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, has given a glimpse into the secret mission of the Indian government to test a nuclear bomb in 1998. 

Parmanu- The Story of Pokhran is an ode to the Indian army and scientists, who although ordinary people, accomplished truly extraordinary feats in the face of adversity. It salutes, celebrates and truly embraces the slogan- Jai Jawan Jai Vigyan. While the premise of the film is based on true events, the characters are fictitious. Directed by Abhishek Sharma, the film stars John Abraham, Diana Penty and Boman Irani.

The film will release on May 25, 2018.

Also Read: Producer Prernaa Arora On Parmanu Row: John Abraham Will Become A Laughing Stock Soon

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May 102018
 

Breaking down John Abraham’s look in RAW, director tells the actor to get buzz cut for spy drama

John Abraham
John Abraham

Ahead of Romeo Akbar Walter RAW going on floors in June, the team is hard at work finalising leading man John Abraham’s look. The actor, we hear, will be sporting a buzz cut in the espionage drama that is set against the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. To add to his character of a spy, Abraham is also working towards attaining a leaner physique. The team — including the actor, director Robby Grewal, producers Ajay Kapoor and Bunty Walia, and makeup artist Vikram Gaikwad — is set to conduct a series of look tests before zeroing in on one.

Grewal tells mid-day, “It’s a true-blue espionage film with John playing a RAW agent. While it has its share of action sequences, it’s not an action film. You won’t see him bashing up 10 people. Instead, the film will delve into the mindspace of a spy. We are presenting John in a different avatar – he will sport a leaner frame and possibly, a buzz cut. We will explore various looks before locking in on one for his role.”

The director adds that John Abraham‘s character will be seen sporting various disguises in keeping with the narrative of the spy thriller. Intrigued by the political climate during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war, Grewal says that he decided to weave a fictional story set in the era. “The story is fictional, but the events [that form part of the background in] 1971 are part of my script. Things were dramatically different in that era, and the secret service was a fantastic unit to be part of, in those times.”

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Apr 022018
 

Rumoured to be upset over non-payment of dues, John Abraham terminates contract with co-producers of Parmanu; Prernaa Arora claims she is seeking legal recourse

John Abraham
John Abraham

Rumours of all not being well between John Abraham and KriArj Entertainment, the co-producers of his film – Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran, have been doing the rounds for the past few months. Now, it has been learnt that tired of the film’s release being incessantly delayed, Abraham has terminated his contract with the studio and intends to release it under his banner, JA Entertainment. A trade notice has been issued on the subject.

Prernaa Arora
Prernaa Arora

It may be recalled that the movie, which revolves around India’s nuclear bomb test explosions conducted in Pokhran in 1998, was originally slated to release on December 8 last year. However, the release was then deferred to February, only to be pushed further to March 2. Since Prernaa Arora’s [of KriArj Entertainment] co-production Pari was releasing on the same day, Parmanu was postponed once again to April 6. Finally, it was to hit screens on May 11.

A source revealed that besides being upset about the constant change in plans, John Abraham was also unhappy with the non-payment of dues by the co-producers. “The constant delay has been a worrying factor for John. He has also been having creative conflicts with the producers as there is no clarity on the promotional strategy. That aside, Prernaa’s company had not cleared their dues,” said the source.

Arora, on her part, claimed that Abraham hasn’t fulfilled his end of the bargain, and termed the termination “illegal”. Stating that Zee Studios are KriArj’s partners in the project, she said, “JA Ent has kept making unreasonable demands for money from us, which are outside the scope of their initial understanding with us. This has made it clear that they are trying to defraud us by attempting to wriggle out of a legally binding contract. (sic)” Arora added that they are taking legal recourse.

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Dec 112017
 

John Abraham-starrer Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran was to release on December 8. As it was just a week after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, which was earlier slated to hit the marquee on December

John Abraham-starrer Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran was to release on December 8. As it was just a week after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmavati, which was earlier slated to hit the marquee on December 1, the makers pushed Parmanu to February 23, 2018. Now there is talk that Padmavati is likely to release in mid-February. Johnny boy will find himself in the same situation yet again. Will the actor-producer change the film’s release date again?

John Abraham
John Abraham

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Sep 282017
 

Bollywood has been witness to several casting brawls when notable productions catch the fancy of multiple actors. But, in an interesting turn of events, Taapsee Pannu and Kriti Sanon found themselves at loggerheads over the indecisiveness of co-producers of a John Abraham production. While Pannu was the first choice for Abraham and co-producer Sunir Khetrapal, buzz that Sanon was being roped in to take her place, emerged after another production house jumped aboard.

Kriti Sanon and Taapsee Pannu
Kriti Sanon and Taapsee Pannu

A friend of Pannu tells mid-day, “Khetrapal is the sole owner of the film and had signed Taapsee a long time ago. Not only has the signing amount been given, Taapsee’s dates have also been locked.” Pannu has interacted with Abraham on three occasions, says the source, further pointing out that reports of Sanon being cast in the film have shocked Pannu. “She was flabbergasted. But, John and Sunil assured her that the film was hers, and a formal announcement would put rumours to rest.”

John Abraham
John Abraham

Production house KriArj Entertainment, which came aboard the film later and made a quick exit, was apparently not keen on casting Pannu. The source suggests that the co-producers began pitching the film to other female stars, including Sanon. “However, Sunil said he wouldn’t drop Taapsee since she was the first to join the cast. A formal announcement is expected within a week.” When mid-day connected with Khetrapal, he said that he “will not make a statement unless the artistes have signed the contract.”, refusing to divulge details around the lead pair.

Also see: Anu Aggarwal: ‘Aashiqui’ actress who fought coma, learnt tantric sex
Anu Aggarwal: 'Aashiqui' actress who fought coma, learnt tantric sex

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May 072013
 

Shootout At Wadala released to an overwhelming response, with congratulatory messages flooding the makers of the film. It comes as no surprise then that the lead actor of the film John Abraham decided on gifting his director Sanjay Gupta a brand new bike.

Now the proud owner of the new set of wheels, Sanjay posted on twitter saying, “I am now a very proud owner of The Yamaha V Max Motorcycle thanks to my hero John Abraham. Can’t wait to go on a really long ride on my new beauty. Thank you John. This is the best gift ever. The sweet bike of success :-)”.

An elated Gupta also posted an image saying. “This is my new black beauty :)”.

The Yamaha V Max is a cruiser motorcycle made by Yamaha since 1985, known for its powerful V4 engine, shaft drive, and distinctive styling. The bike boasts of a 1,197 cc (73.0 cu in) liquid-cooled DOHC engine, 5-speed transmission with a top speed of approximately 220 kmph.

Dec 172012
 

Monday, December 17th, 2012 2:48 pm

Tags:John Abraham, Yvette Shaw

Well it’s nothing new to the eyes, mind and heart to call the stunningly fabulous John Abraham the ‘Sexiest Man Alive’. He has throbbed the heart of millions female fans and his suave looks and carved-out body has won the heart of Muscle women Yvette Shaw. He sets the fire within Yvette through his super-fantastic abs and well-toned, chiselled muscles. Yvette will be seen in her Bollywood debut movie “The City That Never Sleeps” which is Produced by Satish Reddy and Directed by Haroon Rashid.

Yvette Shaw (1).JPGYvette said, “I love the man who has sexy body and an equally sexy mind and john has it all. I wish that one day I will work with the Bollywood hunk. I want john to show his beautiful abs and sexy muscle in front of me.”

Yvette Shaw has rubbed her shoulder with Hollywood hunk Arnold and many action stars. She can be describes as a finest and toughest women in the world. She has been accomplished by her achievements as an International athlete muscle model and leading Actress.

“If you talk about being sexy and look worldwide, you have John Abraham. I think sexiness is also a quotient of success, but according to me more than that is intelligence. Because every person’s physical appeal only lasts a while, but in the long run the mind matters”, she added.

Yvette Shaw (2).JPGYvette Shaw (3).JPGYvette Shaw (4).JPG