John Abraham on issues plaguing us and ways to tackle them, being non-confrontational and his action -packed love story
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 3, 2018)

After giving over a year to your home production, Parmanu, you’ve been doing fi lms back-to-back. Satyameva Jayate will be followed by RAW: Romeo Akbar Walter and Batla House, which rolls in September.
Good content had accumulated, RAW and Batla House are exceptional scripts. And I’m happy I’m busy not just for the sake of being busy.

Satyameva Jayate touches on issues like corruption and molestation. Is hardcore violence the way to tackle them?
Satyameva Jayate is a clap-worthy, dialogue-baazi commercial film and as an audience, we sometimes like to be a part of a make-believe world where we can see our wishful thinking come true. I’m not endorsing violence, but I feel that we’ve become too sophisticated in the dealing with these issues. My character Veer is a vigilante who handles things in a certain way which I think will resonate with our audience. And there’s an antidote in Manoj Bajpayee’s character, DCP Shivansh, who believes what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong.

You’re a big guy yet one doesn’t hear of John Abraham getting into fistfights. How do you handle your anger?
I’ve never raised a finger on anyone, never got into a physical fight. I’m a peaceful, non-confrontational guy who can’t even raise his voice. When I’m angry I smile a lot and use sarcasm to vent. Someone told me once to always contain my anger and words for issues that need it rather than comment on everything. That can be emotionally draining and people stop taking you seriously. So, now I’m cautious of what I say and when I say it.

You have a reputation of being an honest guy who follows rules and believes in the system. How do you reconcile with what’s not right with the world?
You need to operate from within your own eco-system for it to percolate outside and bring about a change. I’m very clear with my producers, accountants and my team that we must never get into a murky space and cheat anyone. Corruption is everywhere and at every point of time. I’ve been told straight that if I don’t pay bribes, I won’t survive. I don’t agree. I may not be the most morally upright person in the world, but I know if I’m honest in what I’m doing, it can make a difference. I tell youngsters that they need to have a conscience and if their parents tell them any different, they should disagree.

You’re very protective of and respectful towards women. How do you react to the depravity we read about every day?
As a proud Indian, I have the right to look at things happening in the country critically. I say this on record that India is not a safe place for women and animals. We’re one of the few countries where we disrobe a woman by just looking at her. It’s sad and getting worse. I’m scared, and this makes me question the society and the country I live in. I don’t endorse capital punishment, but I believe we need to instil the fear of death in these sick men to ensure that they don’t commit such crimes.

Batla House touches on terrorism. What’s your personal take?
I’m a politically aware person yet I’m apolitical and I have no religious opinions. I come from small minorities from both my parents’ sides and consider myself an Indian first. I believe the world is getting polarised. Certain fringe elements will become very dominant and will subsequently represent a small part of a certain community with the result that a larger part of another community will react to that representation violently. It’s a domino effect and through films like Batla House and characters like Sanjeev Kumar Yadav we are addressing the issue head-on, telling people it’s important to pledge allegiance to your country rather than your religion.

What’s it like to play a RAW agent, usually an unsung hero?
Romeo Akbar Walter (RAW) is a compelling script and Robbie Grewal is an intelligent and passionate director. It is an honest depiction of what happens to these agents when they’re moved around by the agency and the government. It delves into their personal lives, the finality of it all. Yes, they are unsung heroes. No one bothers about what happens to them. The other day, I read about this war veteran selling things on the road. We have no respect for our soldiers and tweeting our concerns, like many actors do, doesn’t make anyone any more concerned. Some of us do it from a space of honesty but some do it around the time of a film’s release to build an image. I’d like to clarify that I’m not saying this to promote Satyameva Jayate, for me these issues were a matter of concern before and will remain even after.

RAW will see you in eight looks…
It’s actually 18 looks and it is being shot in 80 locations. It’s a true story, we have deviated a bit but most of it is factually accurate.

Does it take you into the Kabul Express space?
It does. I’d gone to Afghanistan for Kabul Express just after the Taliban fall. I’m taking RAW to Kashmir now; a film set can’t replicate what you feel when you’re in a danger zone and I enjoy that even if there’s a possibility that you may not return. After Kabul Express, I wanted to shoot my next film in Baghdad and I was told I was losing my mind.

Will the Marathi film you’re producing, Savita Damodar Paranjpe, be remade in Hindi?
I saw the play years ago, it was compelling. When the director, (Swapna Waghmare Joshi) told me there was a possibility of acquiring the film rights, I gave the nod. Some of our best content comes out of Marathi, Malayalam and Bengali cinema because they don’t have the crutch of a big budget. This psychological thriller needed to be made in Marathi first but since the subject is relevant across India, we can adapt it in other languages.

What’s next on the production front?
Besides two web series, there’s a film titled Attack for now. It’s a love story with a lot of action which is fun because I love breaking my bones.

BOMBAY TIMES (April 15, 2017)