Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 26, 2018)

Given John Abraham’s penchant for performing his own stunts, Satyameva Jayate director Milap Zaveri was not surprised when he refused to employ a body double for the self-flagellation sequence in the song, Tajdar-E-Haram. However, the filmmaker reveals that Abraham suffered injuries while depicting the ritual performed during Muharram.

Recollecting the four-day shoot in Wadala, Zaveri says, “We had to use real knives because the audience would be able to tell the fake ones from the real. By the fourth take, John had suffered multiple cuts. Since he had makeup on, we didn’t realize that he was bleeding. It was only after we had canned the shot that he rushed to get medical help.”

Lauding his fighting spirit, Zaveri says that despite the injuries, his leading man reported to work the next day. “John even filmed an action scene after we wrapped up the song shoot.” An FIR was filed by a group belonging to the Shia community — they alleged that the trailer, which showed Abraham committing a murder right after the Matam, hurt their religious sentiments. “We’ve got the Censor clearance. We have been careful about what we are showing on screen.”