Going beyond the brawn

Straight talk

He may be the action star, but his feet is on terra firma. That, perhaps, sets him apart
from the members of his fraternity.

John Abraham is far from being the tough guy that his films make him out to be. Grounded and articulate, he is constantly eyeing new possibilities and setting new goals.
In the upcoming buddy cop film 'Dishoom', he will be displaying yet again his action prowess in all its grandeur. In a chat with Anupama Ramakrishnan, the actor turns candid on his films and the right path to fitness.

You have been juggling multiple roles — acting, producing and co-owning a football club — to name a few. How do you make it happen?
 It’s always fun taking up challenges. I completely enjoy doing that. I wish I could do it 365 days.
 
How are you looking forward to your latest film, ‘Dishoom’? Any butterflies...?
The only time I am anxious is when I am signing a film. I am not worried after that. The failure or success of my movie does not affect me. The maximum thought process happens when I am signing the film.  

You are synonymous with fitness. Any word of advice to the young?
What I have to tell young boys is while trying for a six pack, don’t forget about the rest of the body. Leading a healthy lifestyle is more important than portraying one. The kind of food supplements that have damaging effects in the long run — one should be aware of, and I am talking from a place of understanding and being there. There is no short cut to hard work.

‘Dishoom’ is associated with Hershey's ‘Sofit’. Your thoughts on that...
I endorse healthy living. For a balanced diet, you need proteins, vitamins, Omega-3 etc which is there in Sofit. The brand and the movie are perfect for each other.

Do you think action movies have come-of-age in India?
It depends on multiple genres. You have action-comedy, where comedy will work anyway. In a dark film, the action has to make sense. The emotion should connect to action. Have you heard of Farah Khan? Yes. Have you heard of Allan Amin? No, because Farah is a dance choreographer and Allan Amin is an action choreographer. We obviously make the hero. We can do much more.

Is there a lack of good films in Bollywood?
I can’t speak much on that as I have not seen much of Bollywood films lately. But from what I hear, there are some of them. I honestly think content has evolved. But we need to pick up the game. One intended to produce ‘Rocky Handsome’ for the action, which is of world standard. It has the best action in Indian cinema. But that takes effort, time and money and we don’t do that.

How about a stint in South Indian movies?
There is a lot of good content there. I would love to make films like ‘Premam’. I would like to produce Malayalam films and to experience it as it is an important part of my heritage. My mom is a non-Malayali but loves watching these movies. In Marathi too, there is a film called ‘Sairat’, which has made Rs 100 crore in Maharashtra. These movies speak a beautiful universal language. You don’t need a particular language for good films.