Fresh off the shoot of Bhoot Police, Arjun Kapoor is neck-deep in prep for director Mohit Suri’s Ek Villain Returns. John Abraham, who is backing Kapoor’s upcoming Netflix film Sardar Ka Grandson, slips into the role of his co-star for the sequel to the 2014 thriller. While Abraham and Disha Patani began filming the project earlier this month, the actor will join the team next month.

Before that, Kapoor is toiling away at the gym so that he can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with one of Bollywood’s favourite action heroes. “John is known for his physique and action prowess. I am aware of it, and it was a major impetus for me to sign the film. I am lucky to be working with John, who is so good in this space. I am bound to put in twice the effort to make sure that we look good together on screen,” he says.

Tell him that the movie marks his second consecutive two-hero project after Bhoot Police, which sees him play ghostbuster with Saif Ali Khan, and he says that he enjoys multi-starrers. “Ensemble dramas and big set-ups have always been on my list. When I did Gunday [2014] and Mubarakan [2017], I craved a big cinematic outing. Ek Villain 2 is [another film] that I want to strive hard for.”