Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 24, 2018)

Christmas is here, and it’s that time of the year when families come together to exchange gifts, spread love and enjoy the festivities. Ahead of the festival, John Abraham, who is going to have a working Christmas, took time off to talk to BT about his idea of Xmas, his obsession with marzipans and his fondest memories of the festival while growing up. Excerpts:

‘I DON’T GET TOO DEJECTED BY FAILURE OR TOO EUPHORIC WITH SUCCESS. MY CELEBRATIONS ARE THE SAME’
John has had a busy year at the movies, with two diametrically different films — Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran and Satyameva Jayate — and both doing well at the box office. The actor says, “The going’s been good. And yeah, with a good year at work, you feel less guilty while celebrating festivals — Diwali, Eid or Christmas. Honestly, I am not the type who has loud and lavish celebrations, so you won’t find me out there. I remember, a few years ago, I was more low profile than I am now, as I was going through a lot of issues in my personal and professional spaces. Even then, I tried celebrating festivals the way I do now. I don’t get too dejected by failure or too euphoric with success, my levels of celebration are the same. People call me boring and tell me that I should do something about it. But the thing is, if I do anything more than this, I will stop being me.

Once, a big producer had invited me to a grand party. I agreed to head there by 9.30 pm and leave at 10 pm. He looked crestfallen and said that people would walk in only by 12 in the night. Eventually, we decided to keep a healthy professional relationship, which is intact even today, but we don’t party. I love the industry and the people I work with, but you’d never find me anywhere on the social circuit because I have a regimental, boring lifestyle, which I can’t give up unless there’s work.”

MY DAD TOLD ME, ‘YOU HAVE TO DO GOOD TO BE A GOOD HUMAN BEING; YOU DON’T NEED TO GO TO RELIGIOUS PLACES FOR THAT’
A few years ago, in a rare case, John was spotted heading to the Mount Mary Church in Bandra for the Christmas midnight mass. Ask him if he really makes time to visit a place of worship, and he replies, “To me, festivals are an excuse to just go out there and have a good time. You make sweets, eat sweets, have a party and play some music. It’s all great when done in moderation. But I must confess — I don’t really go to church. I was four years old when I attended the Sunday school, but I got a little bored and walked out. My father was standing right outside and he asked me, ‘What happened, son?’ I told him, ‘Dad, I don’t seem to be getting this.’ He just told me one thing, ‘You have to do good to be a good human being; you don’t need to go to religious places for that.’ After that, I have rarely visited religious places. I am more spiritual and I don’t like to talk about the good that I try and do. Like, if I want to wish you, I don’t need to tell the world that I am wishing you. I could just say it to you personally. I still believe in the warmth of a personal message.”

‘THERE ARE AILING KIDS WHO WANT TO SEE SALMAN KHAN AND HRITHIK ROSHAN, AND THEY DON’T GET TO SEE THEM. I HAPPILY GO AS THE REPLACEMENT’
The atmosphere at John’s house in his formative years, and even today, is an amalgamation of distinct cultures — Irani and Syrian Christian (Protestant). For the Abrahams, cutting a plum cake was a must on Christmas, and so was visiting a Cheshire Home for the aged in Andheri, a locality where John once lived. “Even today, we visit this home. For 35 years now, my parents have celebrated Christmas with the folks there. Once in a while, I, too, visit the home and spread some cheer. The other part of celebrating Christmas is going to this hospital in Byculla where my mother looks after kids suffering from cancer. Interestingly, there are kids there, who want to see Salman Khan and Hrithik Roshan, and they don’t get to see them. So, I go as the replacement (laughs!). Of course, there are also kids who also want to see me and are happy to see me. The kids are so spirited. Without preaching, my parents have taught me that festivals should be about giving back to society,” he says, talking about his fondest memories.

‘I USED TO BELIEVE THAT SANTA CLAUS EXISTS AND HE GIVES ME DINKY CARS EVERY YEAR’
John studied at Bombay Scottish School in Mahim. On Christmas day, the school, back in the day, would organise a play. “I used to watch it but strangely, was never selected to act in it,” he laughs, adding, “I used to wait for Santa Claus to give me a dinky car in my stocking. Can you imagine I was so dumb as a kid? I used to believe that Santa Claus exists and he gives me dinky cars every year. Back then, I loved dinky cars then, now it’s motorcycles. I love my gifts even now; just that Santa Claus doesn’t give them to me anymore.”

About indulging in sweets, the actor admits that he hasn’t consumed anything sugary in 25 years, though he’s partial to marzipans. “The one gift I haven’t received in years is marzipan. I am obsessed with it, but haven’t eaten any of late. As a kid, I would often roll up the layer of marzipan on cakes and have it. That’s one present I want. The only other sweet I love as freakishly is kaju katli served during Diwali,” he shares.

For John, festivals are also about new beginnings. He says, “Over the years, I’ve felt that festivals are those windows in the year when you can go back to the people you have had problems with and offer a fresh start. I’d like to go to all my near and dear ones and tell them, ‘Listen, I am not as psychopathic about work as I look. I am known to be a workaholic, but I love socialising and talking to people. I just work, but that’s my religion and I celebrate that every day of my life.”

Christmas is not quite complete without get-togethers and making merry in high spirits. The actor says, “I just have half-a-glass of champagne once a year. My friends find me very boring. I am purposely kept out of parties for this reason. I sometimes feel bad about it (laughs!). I tell them, ‘Guys, I am not so bad. I can participate without alcohol’.”

‘EVERY LANE IN BANDRA EXUDES WARMTH AND CELEBRATION DURING CHRISTMAS’
Once an Andheri denizen, John has been a Bandra boy for years now. Talking about celebrating Christmas in this suburb, the actor says, “Christmas is more highlighted in Bandra than any other neighbourhood in the city. It’s beautiful. Every lane exudes warmth and celebration. If you want to have a great time without causing a traffic snarl, just walk around Bandra between December 24 and January 1. Sometimes, I do that, too.”

Apart from Christmas in Bandra, the actor feels that there’s a neighbourhood in Kolkata that celebrates the festival like none other. “You have to visit Park Street in Kolkata! It looks so beautiful and so dressed up for this festival. I have never seen another part of India look that gorgeous during Christmas. That just makes me feel that we are blessed to be in India, which is such a democratic place. As a child, I was the one who broke the dahi handi in our society, my Hindu friends, built the crèche for Christmas and my Muslim friends were always an embrace away. Today, even though there’s evident polarisation, Christmas brings a sense of togetherness, no matter who you are.”