The front row with Anupama Chopra-John Abraham

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj1vKcxZ2fU[/YOUTUBE]

The Front Row: John Abraham on Being Fit

John Abraham is proud of his body. "I am always prepared to be physically fit, at any point of time," says the Bollywood actor.

He is starring in "I, Me Aur Main" – "I, Me And Me" – an upcoming romantic drama.

Mr. Abraham spoke to Anupama Chopra about the importance of keeping his body fit, his passion for real estate, and being engaged to an investment banker. Here is an edited transcript of their conversation on "The Front Row."

Anupama: Congratulations on completing 10 years in the movies. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment of the last decade?

John Abraham: I remember there was some numerologist who said, 'John Abraham has started with Jism, that's the end of his career.' So I think my biggest accomplishment is being here for 10 years. A larger accomplishment would be to be here for another 10 years but even more effectively.

Anupama: John, many female models have been successful in Bollywood but most of the men – Dino Morea, Milind Soman, Rahul Dev – haven't had much luck. What do you think has been key to your success?

John: I believe my biggest advantage has been the fact that I believe I can act and act very effectively. I connect with my audience in an unspoken and strong way. You realize it when you see your first film. If the audience connects with you, you know you are going to last. If they don't, it's over, it's finito.

Anupama: So much of the conversation around you is about your body. Does that ever frustrate you? Do you ever want to say: I'm an actor, not a body-builder?

John: I actually don't have a problem with it. Cinema is a very visual medium and I remember one big director saying, after my shirt came off in Dostana, that we can sell an entire film on this shot. I feel if it's a commercial medium and it's visually pleasing, there's nothing wrong with it. After me, every senior actor – forget juniors ones –has taken his shirt off. I am not apologetic about my physicality and it's out there for people to see. Fitness should be a way in life, not a phase in life and that's why I am always prepared to be physically fit at any point of time.

Anupama: Several years ago, when you were making 'No Smoking' with Anurag Kashyap, he wrote a blog piece about you which said that: People like John go out of the sheltered secure atmosphere and make choices that, if not immediately will slowly change cinema and change him. Do you agree?

John: Completely. I thank Anurag for saying and recognizing that. I think it's important for an actor to have the guts to really step out of his comfort zone and do things he really believes in. No Smoking was the best example of a film that happened way before its time. I think it's my best performance yet. Today, it would have been seen in a completely different light and people would have said 'John Abraham has done something different,' but I think each film has its time and space. Being a producer as well, I understand what it is like to be commercial. As a producer my job is to marry content with commerce. If I can marry the two together we'll get a successful film like "Vicky Donor."

Anupama: Apparently, you're also a savvy investor with property in London, LA and 60,000 square feet in Mumbai. When and why have you become a real estate mogul?

John: I've grown up in a very middle class way so I've been very cautious about my money. So, wherever I thought I could invest, I did. My way of looking at things is very different and I enjoy real estate. I enjoy buying places and I like it. It's never about an expensive car or an expensive motorcycle because I know they'll depreciate. I just want to keep accumulating as much as I can and in a very honest, clean, white way and I am very proud of it.

Anupama: Is that also a side effect of being engaged to an investment banker?

John: I think Priya [Runchal] is such a stabilizing factor. I run everything by her now. I get the most honest and sensible answers from her, be it films, relationships with people, real estate, across the board. She is the one stop shop.

Anupama: Do you share your scripts with her as well? And given so much press and so much conversation around your relationship, do you think keeping a low profile is the best way to nurture it?

John: I do share ideas and I enjoy it because I've got someone to share with and I get some amount of feedback and that's pretty positive. She's very interested in what I am doing. But she prefers to stay a clear of any kind of media. We both choose to keep it that way because the biggest question asked to us and especially to me is, 'When you guys are getting married?' And my honest answer is even if I did, no one would know because I am so secretive about it.

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Congratulations for your 10 year stint in Bollywood John 🥳
Your struggle from model and Actor and now producer.
I have been fan of you just from "Force" would like to see more films from you
Your best works, like New york, Zinda, Water, Taxi No 9211, always go unmentioned, where you were fab...

He's so well spoken. He's one of the few actors with intelligence. Although, I must say; he come across very boring.

Originally posted by: tulsi003

He's so well spoken. He's one of the few actors with intelligence. Although, I must say; he come across very boring.

Haha yes, she said it! you sound terrible date John...😆 Very disciplined guy

Just got this news!!!

JohnAbraham won Yuva Award SPECIAL CATEGORY (Male)

In my opinion he used Bipasha to improve his sharif image.

jaan ibraahim looking faadu