In recent times, filmmakers such as Hansal Mehta and Anurag Kashyap have been vocal about how Bollywood needs to invest in new faces and be willing to take more risks. Well, it’s something actor John Abraham has been doing since he first donned the producer’s hat for Vicky Donor. While he launched actors Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam Dhar in Bollywood with the 2012 film, his more recent releases — Vedaa (2024) and The Diplomat — have seen him work with relatively new actors like Sharvari and Sadia Khateeb, respectively.

Ask what pulls him towards fresh faces and John says, “A lot of newcomers come with no baggage and it’s easier to work with them. Also, for me, the director’s word is final. I don’t start a film with the preconceived notion of taking an industry kid or an outsider. Anyone who fits the bill, works for me.”

Having said that, John admits that as a producer, it’s a problem when his talent comes with huge entourages: “If you come with 14 people, it is troublesome for me. I have a football team, and I know how much money that has cost me, so I don’t want another football team in my life.”

The 52-year-old adds, “I don’t have a big team. So, when I am producing a film, I expect my colleagues to operate like me. I find newcomers more suitable, till they get corrupt. After a film or two, they find success and move on to another level. So, I start looking for newcomers again.”