John Abraham, in a recent interaction, reflected upon his journey as an outsider in the film industry, and the camaraderie he shares with co-stars.
John Abraham, who stepped into the film industry with Pooja Bhatt’s directorial Jism, recently opened up on his journey as an outsider, while speaking at the SCREEN Masterclass.
Reflecting on his two decades in the business of movies, the Diplomat star recalled the early 2000s, when outsiders were rare, and criticism was constant.
“I have probably been criticized the most in this industry, from the time I started. When I came in 2003, there were no outsiders. Before that, only Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar (entered the film industry). The amount of criticism I have gone through, nobody else has faced that in my time,” he said.
He went on to explain how his refusal to play the publicity game became his quiet rebellion.
John shared, “For me, it was simple. I was like a horse with blinkers. I could only see in front, and didn’t expect. I have never had a publicist. I don’t go out there to feed stories in the media; it could make me vulnerable as well, but I think people know my integrity and where I come from.”
Further, John also spoke about how instead of competing with his co-stars, he chose complementing.
“I get along way better with my male co-stars. I have worked with Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Varun Dhawan, and Abhishek Bachchan, ” he said, even joking about his famous kiss with Abhishek in Dostana.
The actor further added that his co-stars often saw him as someone who complemented their process, and he viewed them the same way. He explained that he was not competitive in that space, felt very comfortable around his male colleagues, and believed that this ease translated beautifully on screen.
With projects like the revival of Force, Rohit Shetty’s biopic on Rakesh Maria, and a bold turn as Duryodhana in Modern Mahabharata, John Abraham has an exciting lineup in store for his fans.
