Showing posts with label Housefull 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Housefull 2. Show all posts
As John Abraham the star, action is inseparable. But as an artiste, I also crave depth-John Abraham
8:30 AM
Niharika Lal (BOMBAY TIMES; October 26, 2025)
“I am obsessed with how I portray India on screen,” says John Abraham. The actor recently played the role of a diplomat (The Diplomat, 2025) and a police officer (Tehran, 2025). Earlier, he has portrayed an IAS officer in Parmanu and a police officer in films like Force and Batla House. On the other hand, he has also been part of comedy films like Housefull 2 and played the quintessential antihero in Pathaan. In a recent chat, the actor-producer speaks to us about how he occupies two different worlds depending upon whether he is wearing a producer’s hat or an actor’s hat.
‘AS A PRODUCER, I CAN’T PRODUCE A HOUSEFULL KIND OF A FILM. BUT AS AN ACTOR, I DID A HOUSEFULL 2’
John says that he occupies two cinematic worlds depending upon which hat he is wearing. As a producer, he wants to make a difference with the kind of films he produces, and as an actor he loves action and comedy films.
“As a producer, I can’t produce a Housefull (2010) kind of a film. But as an actor, I did a Housefull 2 (2012). As a producer, there are a lot of films that I cannot do. I’m not equipped to do them. But as an actor, I fit in. Like Pathaan (2023) – it is too big a film for me to even fathom producing at this point of time. That’s for the calibre of an Aditya Chopra, who can conceive and make a film like that. As an actor, I want to do films like Pathaan because I enjoy the space. I enjoy doing films like Dostana (2008) and Desi Boyz (2011). Maybe at some point I’ll transition to producing these big-budget films, but at this point – no! So, as an actor, it’s a different mindset and as a producer, it’s a different mindset.”
John adds that even when he’s making commercial films, there’s intention behind it. “Commercial films toh karni hi hai. As John Abraham the star, action is inseparable. But I also crave depth.”
‘I MADE A CHOICE THAT I WON’T DANCE AT MARRIAGE FUNCTIONS’
Speaking at the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service, John says that he keeps rejecting offers worth crores for endorsing pan masala brands or to dance at weddings. “The decision of whether you want to do certain things in your career that actually do not speak for who you really are – that’s a moral choice and a subconscious choice. Pan masala, for example. They give us a lot of money. But would I endorse pan masala? I wouldn’t. Again, I’m not pointing a finger at people who do. I’m talking about what is right and wrong for me. I would not do it because I think it is possibly dangerous for someone’s health. I made a choice that I won’t dance at marriage functions. Now, is it right or wrong? It’s not wrong. Actors do it. Nothing wrong with it. The Beyoncés of the world are coming to dance at our weddings here. It’s a personal choice. But would I do it? No,” he says, adding, “There are certain moral choices I make in my life as a person that probably go against the grain of my job.”
‘I research a lot for my films’
John says that he is fully aware of his image as an action star. He says, “You can’t fake sincerity. You must live the role. With The Diplomat, the compliment I cherished the most was people saying, ‘Only your facial muscles acted.’” To essay the role of diplomat J P Singh in the film, John met him multiple times, observed him and exchanged notes.
He says, “Diplomats are incredibly sharp. Our diplomats like Mr S Jaishankar, J P Singh – they command such respect. I met many real officers and was awestruck by their calmness and dedication.”
Talking about Tehran he says, “I research a lot, I know what I’m presenting. We were very careful with Tehran. We showed all sides with fairness. My grandfather came from Iran in 1939. My mother still speaks Farsi. I had to learn it for the film. So there’s an emotional connection. It’s in my blood.”
I did bold scenes on screen, but I wasn’t selling my body-Zareen Khan
8:40 AM
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 26, 2023)
Zareen Khan, during a recent Ask Me Anything session on Reddit, spoke about doing the erotic thriller Hate Story 3 (2015), which was one of her biggest hits. She said she did it only because she needed the money.
The 36-year-old, who didn’t have a “filmy father” in the industry, tells us, “I would’ve been okay if I came from generational wealth, but I had to fend for myself and take care of my family. Thank God, I got the song Character Dheela in Ready (2011) and later a role in Housefull 2 (2012), which got me bits here and there. But [those movies] still didn’t do for me what Hate Story 3 did [in terms of] success and appreciation. I did bold scenes [onscreen], but at least I wasn’t doing something off-screen or selling my body. I wouldn’t have had a peaceful sleep at night if I did that.”
Coming from an “orthodox Muslim background”, Khan did have a lot of reservations about going ahead with Hate Story 3. “I had many thoughts and questions, but at the end of the day, I had to fend for my family. But the kind of things (bold scenes) we are now seeing on screen, what I did in the film was nothing [in comparison]! I got a lot of appreciation for my role, but many people in the industry said, ‘She doesn’t know how to act, so she’s shedding her clothes’,” says Khan, adding, “To all those bigwigs and makers, I want to say, ‘Today, you are making actors and actresses do much more than what I did at that time’. I am very confused how this industry works.”
If there are two heroes who look good on screen together, it’s Akshay Kumar and me-John Abraham
8:42 AM
Yesha Bhatt (BOMBAY TIMES; May 11, 2022)
In a career spanning close to two decades and around 50 films, John Abraham by his own admission is now in a “2.0 phase. ” The actor whose career has been a mix of commercial entertainers and content-driven projects, says that as an actor, he only craves for respect from the audience. Excerpts:
‘TAKE COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY CHOICES’
Apart from massy films like Housefull 2, Welcome Back and Pagalpanti, John has done his share of hatke films like Madras Cafe, Batla House and Parmanu. Was he worried about the commercial feasibility of these projects?
John says, “You have to ask yourself, what do you want in life? Do you want money or respect? I want respect. Madras Cafe did average business, but the respect I got after doing the film is what I crave for as an actor. I hold my self completely responsible for the choices I made. If a film fails, I don’t shift the blame to the director.”
John who’s dabbled in comedy films and has also done patriotic films in the recent past, claims he doesn’t have a favourite genre. “By doing films about the Armed Forces, I am not aiming at a cult following. I try to be part of a film that is exciting for the audience, but the actual intent is to make a good film that would make me happy.”
‘I WOULD LIKE TO PRODUCE GUJARATI CONTENT’
While John has always been a Hindi film hero, he has also been associated with regional cinema. In 2018, he produced the Marathi film, Savita Damodar Paranjpe and now plans to foray into producing Gujarati films.
The actor who is conversant with the language, owing to his Parsi background, says, “I don’t want to produce just Gujarati films, but also OTT series in the language. I feel that currently, three regional industries in India are producing the best content — Marathi, Malayalam and Gujarati. Of course, this process is cyclical and other regional industries also throw up good content. For example, Assamese and Bengali industries, among others, have also produced great content and they are still doing so. I speak Gujarati and understand Gujarati, it’s my matrubhasha in a way, as my mother is a Parsi.”
‘I AM GETTING BACK TO DOING BIKER FILMS’
John was part of Dhoom, which brought biking culture into focus, and he has also done many high-octane stunts in his films. In real life, too, he is passionate about bikes, but so far we haven’t seen him back a film where hot two-wheelers or cool cars take centre stage.
He says, “I have always wanted to produce a film on bikes and cars. In fact, I had even planned a film in 2019-20, but due to the Coronavirus outbreak, we had to stall the plan.”
Now that things are back to normal, John and his team are working on getting permission to shoot on the Isle Of Man, a small island nation between Britain and Ireland, for a project revolving around bikes.
‘AKSHAY AND I SHARE A FABULOUS BOND IN REAL LIFE, I MISS WORKING WITH HIM’
John, who has done a few commercially successful films with Akshay Kumar, insists that he misses working with the latter. “I love working with Akshay. I miss working with him and I know that our professional equation and comic timing match and that’s how we’ve pulled off films like Garam Masala, Desi Boyz and Housefull 2. If there are two heroes who look good on screen together, because their chemistry is so seamless and realistic, it’s Akshay and me. We share a genuine bond beyond our films, and all that just translates onto the screen. Of course, I am looking for an excuse to reunite with him on screen. I believe he’s very busy now, but I’m going to pull him out and work with him soon.”
‘NEVER CONSUME WHITE SUGAR, DON’T HAVE CHEAT DAYS’
John Abraham’s ripped body and fitness regimen have inspired people for years. Talking about his fitness regimen, John says, “I am very disciplined, I do not have many cheat days. I haven’t touched white sugar in over 30 years now and if it was introduced to the world in the 21st century, it would have been a banned substance, that is the kind of harm it does to a body. I don’t smoke, drink alcohol or aerated drinks. I am a vegetarian. I want to be fit 365 days of the year and I do not want to transform for a particular film. I want to set the right example for my fans.”
I’ll cherish every moment spent with Rishi Kapoor-Chunky Panday
8:26 AM
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 2, 2020)
“I remember watching Bobby (1973) in the theatre. I’ve been Rishi Kapoor’s biggest fan,” says Chunky Panday as he walks down the memory lane. As the veteran actor breathed his last yesterday, Panday reminisces the time when he couldn’t share a single frame with him despite working in a film with him. He shares, “After I became an actor, I worked with him in Kasak (1992) where we didn’t have a single scene together. I was quite upset back then.”
Talking about the time when he closely worked with Kapoor during the shoot of Housefull 2 (2012), he nostalgically says, “Then I got a chance to work with him in Housefull 2. When we had the first screening of Housefull 2, I couldn’t make it because I was travelling. After the show, he called me and said to me, ‘You’re a fine actor!’ That coming from him was bigger than receiving any award.”
Panday says that Kapoor had a huge influence in his career. “I took on negative roles because I saw him as Rauf Lala in Agneepath (2012) and I was shaken up by that performance. The reason I did Saaho (2019) and Begum Jaan (2017) was because he inspired me to take that route. There’s going to be no one like him,” says Panday.
With a heavy heart, he says that his “biggest regret” would be to not have met the senior actor in the past couple of years. “The last time we worked together was when we went to Bengaluru for an event. Then he went to New York for his treatment. While I was there, I wanted to meet him. So, I called him up and I came to know that he was resting. I didn’t want to disturb. When he came back to India, I wanted to visit him but he went to Delhi to resume shooting and got very busy. But I’ll cherish every moment that I spent with him,” he signs off.
After Hate Story, Salman fans stopped calling me bhabhi. Thank God for that!-Zareen Khan
8:16 AM
Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; September 22, 2019)
As we are welcomed into Zareen Khan’s vanity van, parked near the sets of her debut Telugu film Chanakya, it’s evident that the actress spends a considerable amount of time in the vehicle. “Don’t mind the mess. Please make yourself comfortable,” she tells us, as we scout for a place to sit amidst piles of costumes, boxes of shoes, hair and beauty tools and tons of make-up. “This place is like my home here. It’s where I come back to unwind after a long day’s shoot. I also come here when I take a break from shoot and it’s where I can be myself — the way I am when I’m at home,” Zareen says, as she settles down for a chat about playing a lesbian in her upcoming Hindi film and dealing with trolls who never tire of comparing her to Katrina Kaif.
The news of you playing a lesbian in your upcoming film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele has created quite a stir...
It is the story of the friendship between a lesbian girl and a gay boy. When I heard it for the first time, I knew that I had to do this. I try to do films that touch upon social issues or problems that the country or the world is facing. It’s high time people talk about the discrimination that LGBTQIA+ community faces. Homosexuals have always been a part of our society and they should be getting the same treatment as anybody else. They have the same blood, skin and emotions. So why do we look at them differently? The abolition of Section 377 has come as a big boost to the community and hopefully, it’s the first step towards ending discrimination against them.
Yes, there has been some backlash because I signed a film like this. In fact, some people have been trying to teach me my religion! Haters can hate; it just reflects their own narrow mindset. People troll you irrespective of what you say or do, and I can’t be bothered by that or let that affect my decision-making. There is a popular saying that goes, ‘You may be the juiciest peach in the world, but there will still be people who don’t like peaches.’ Whether people like this film or not, I’m doing it for my satisfaction.
Talking of trolls, you were recently body-shamed for stretch marks on your stomach. You even hit back with a fitting response...
It wasn’t my intention to react, but I found it strange that a picture about the beautiful surroundings around me suddenly became about my body! Instead of admiring the beauty, people chose to focus on a very small area of my stomach. These are the same people who look at pictures of celebrities on magazines and say, ‘OMG! These celebs are so fake’. And now, when I’m showing the real me, without any filters or make-up, they troll me. The hypocrisy is damning. Today, there are 10,000 beauty apps that can change the way you look, but I’m proud of my body and like to show myself just the way I am. When I was in my teens, I weighed nearly 100 kilos. I have lost more than 50 kilos since then — that’s like knocking off a whole human being! When you lose so much weight, there will naturally be stretch marks. I’m proud of them; they’re a symbol of my struggle. Celebrities aren’t perfect, we have our flaws and imperfections too and it’s high time people realise that.
It must be tough to deal with all the hate you receive online...
Look, these people are trolling you hiding behind some username; you don’t even know whether they’re real or fake. They have no profile pictures. They are just out there typing some sh*t. How can you take such people seriously? In fact, I have only sympathy for such people. Maybe there’s something terribly wrong with their lives. Most of them are probably frustrated in real life and can’t do much about it. So, they suppress all that anger and then vent it out on social media.
Recently, a clip of yours where you said you’re getting married to Salman Khan went viral... What’s the story there?
(Laughs!) Let me clarify. I was asked in an interview what is the best rumour I’d like to spread about myself, and what better rumour than this? There’s nothing more to it.
Funnily, many have this fixation about you and Salman Khan. Many Salman fans even call you bhabhi...
Well, most of those comments stopped after I did Hate Story (laughs!). Thank God for that!
Thanks to your bold avatar you mean? Tell us about that transition from the nice-girl-next-door to a siren...
People generally have this habit of stereotyping you. When I did Veer, people started saying things like ‘Oh, what a pretty girl or a princess’, etc. But it was not doing anything for me. After that, I danced to the song Character Dheela Hai and acted in Housefull 2, but nothing really changed. Hate Story was not an easy decision to make because I didn’t know whether people would accept me in such a bold role. But it turned out to be one of my biggest films. Public perception changes with every film. That’s the best part of being an actor. The plan is to look different in every film.
And yet, some people still say you look like Katrina Kaif...
Oh, not just Katrina. People have said that I look like Jacqueline (Fernandez), Preity Zinta, Pooja Bhatt... I guess I have a universal face (laughs!). There are of course, some stupid people who say stupid things (like fake Katrina), but I don’t pay attention to them.
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