JOIN USI don’t have a photograph with him, not even an autograph”. Sighed my friend Radhika.” “When you introduced him, I could have shaken hands with him at least, no? Instead I just nodded like a fool”. I joined in the lament.
My friend and I were reminiscing about an incident that took place about 11 years ago. The guy with whom Radhika just missed being photographed and I just missed shaking hands was none other than the current heartthrob, the dimpled John Abraham!
Radhika had managed to contact him and request him to inaugurate a fashion show in aid of children with hearing impairment. He inaugurated the fashion show and complimented all the models who happened to be hearing impaired for putting up a very good show. Some of us were introduced to him after the function was over. John Abraham was politeness personified. After he left, I remember asking my friend who he was. “He is one of the leading models in Bangalore. Besides, he readily agreed to do this. He is very modest, you know”, my friend had replied.
We don’t recall whether he had his famous long locks even then, perhaps he did and that’s why we didn’t think much of his looks at that point of time! We forgot all about him till he started slowly becoming a Bollywood heartthrob. And then we started recounting our encounter with him in regretful tones.
Just goes to show you never know who is going to make it big. Be it in filmdom or any other profession, sincerity, hard work and having your feet firmly on the ground can take you far.
In John Abraham’s case, the guy comes across as a very sincere and hard working person. No starry airs about him. The guy can’t dance and also can’t act but who cares? With his macho looks he has most women swooning over him. Even women who normally don’t write about films or film stars are somehow impressed by him and are tempted to write middles on him — that in spite of ‘Dostana’.