'Pathaan' first anniversary: It brought glory back to Hindi film industry, says John Abraham

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film marked the grand comeback of Shah Rukh Khan to the big screen after almost five years.

New Delhi: Marking the first-year anniversary of Pathaan, actor John Abraham on Thursday said the high-octane espionage thriller will always stand as a film that restored the glory of the Hindi film industry.

Pathaan -- the fourth film in Yash Raj Films' spy universe -- saw John as Jim, a former Indian intelligence agent gone rogue who faces off against the titular spy, played by Shah Rukh Khan. It hit the screens on January 25, 2023.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the film marked the grand comeback of Shah Rukh to the big screen after almost five years. It was also the first hit Hindi film of 2023, earning over Rs 1,000 crore at the box office worldwide.

John said the Hindi exhibition sector "bounced back" after the release of Pathaan. Several big-budget films failed to bring audiences to cinema halls in the year 2022.

Pathaan anniversary will always be nostalgic for me personally and also for the Hindi film industry because this was the film that made us as an industry bounce back.

Pathaan will always stand as a film that brought a lot of respect and glory back to the industry. It changed perception, emotion and the forward journey of the Hindi film industry. Just see how the film industry bounced back with Pathaan to deliver its biggest year ever in cinema," the actor said in a statement.

The 51-year-old said he will always cherish the memories he made while working on Pathaan.

"I will always have extremely fond memories of Pathaan for this reason because this industry is my home. The amount of love I have got for Pathaan is incredible. Playing an anti-hero and winning hearts is a very special feeling," he said.

The actor also said he would love to continue to be part of the YRF spy universe.

"I hope I continue to be a part of this YRF Spy Universe and enthral you all with my craft and passion towards cinema," John added.

Pathaan also starred Deepika Padukone, Dimple Kapadia, and Ashutosh Rana with Salman Khan in an extended cameo.