The hottest thing this summer apart from the mercury rising outside, was the rumor that Bollywood's most liked, most made-for-each-other couple had split. In no time, tinsel town tongues started wagging at break jaw speed, over how the couple had grown apart. About how the current heartthrob John Abraham and his hottie Bipasha Basu had grown apart. I wasn't surprised. Isn't this the ultimate fate for every high profile relationship? There have been, after all, prior warnings of trouble brewing in paradise. Wanting to get a low down on when, how, what caused to plague his until now solid relationship, I went armed with an assortment of questions for John. When I reached my destination, the sets of 'Babul', where John was shooting a dance sequence, he looked suspiciously calm and collected. Not the face of a distressed Romeo I would've expected. Before I could fire the questions and tackle the issue at hand, John's phone rings. Mundane musings are exchanged between Bipasha and John over the satellite waves, reassuring everything's fine. And suddenly, the split heard around the corners of the world turns into a whimper. But I have professional inquiries to make, other issues demanding addressal. Famous people always have last words…
You are going for your first world tour of shows. Areyou ready to show your muscles, as an entertainer on foreign soil?
I am going with Salman Khan for he has a great persona and presence on stage, which I can just watch and learn from. He is a big star overseas, as much as he is in India. So, for me to go for a world tour with him will be really helpful. We will get the audience we really want. Besides that, I'm not the best of dancers; but I have reduced my four left feet to two. I've had to rehearse hard. It will be tough, but my strength is myability to interact with the audience.
World tours, endorsing products and advertising space galore. Has John Abraham become more of a commodity than an actor?
Being from the advertising background, as I have been a media planner in the past, I am very careful about the products I choose. If you see, none of the products I endorse are mass products with the exception of one or two. For instance, if it is a cola I am endorsing it is a diet one, then the jeans are only outdoor hoardings. The products are very niche. So, even though you have heard I am doing a lot, there is no media clutter. There is no over exposure. I also believe that more important than over or under exposure, is right and wrong exposure. You do an ad that does not embarrass you, then I think you're safe. So far as shows are con-cerned, I had been signed by the Moranis more than year and a half ago, and I was to travel with them, but I did not have songs then. I still don't have songs, but I think it's high time I go because I want to capitalize on an overseas audience, for them to see and know who John Abraham is. As far as movies go, I am not being materialistic because
I have refused a lot of films recently.
Speaking of refusal, you refused Mani Ratnam's 'Guru'. When every actor would give their right arm to work with him. What made you say no?
I would have loved to work with Mani Ratnam too; besidesI loved the role when I heard it. Unfortunately, the dates fell bang in the middle of my world tour. I had no dates and I would do the movie if they were willing to budge. But if they have the dates of all the other actors, then it is unfair to ask them to turn things around for me.
So it isn't like you did not want to play second fiddle to Abhishek?
Second fiddle is a very harsh word. I would not mind playing a character that convinces me. At this point in time, any filmmaker in his right state of mind would not want me to play second fiddle to Abhishek. I think it is commercially viable to use us both rightly. I am very happy for Abhishek since he is doing well, but I am also happy for myself, as I have also not done badly for myself.
You also walked out of Farhan Akhtar's 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd' after having worked out modalities…
Farhan Akhtar's movie... Yes, it is a fact that I had accepted the movie. I'd spoken to him and Ritesh (Siddhwani) and expressed my desire to do it. When they approached me initially I'd liked my part in the movie. But, at some point in time, when I was in Bhuj shooting for 'Kabul Express', my previous movies started getting delayed. I explained my problem with the scarcity of dates 'coz I was helpless. I think Farhan understood.
In that case, why did they get back and make a statement like 'We had never offered John the role, what is he talking about?'
But I have never really told anyone until you asked me that I was offered the role, honestly. Let's put it this way, since you're asking me, I'm telling you, I was offered the role, but there were problems concerning dates.
Do you think makers take kindly to actors refusing roles? Don't their egos get bruised when their films
are rejected?
I think, to an extent, big makers do understand where actors come from. Probably there are some who don't take it too kindly. But, I guess it's also an actor's prerogative to be very clear about his dates' availability, what his interest levels are. A lot of actors create the problems first. We create our over excuses sometimes. I've also been party to that at some point in time in my career. There are instances like 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd' where it's been beyond my means to do a movie, or say even 'Guru', where I've been honest about my problems. Some makers have taken kindly to it, some have not. Ultimately, if you are clear in your conscience, even makers who've not taken too kindly will probably come to terms with your decision since they have no choice.
You've made forays into camps that have been resistant to outsiders - the Yash Raj and the Karan Johar camp. Let's begin with Karan's camp. Apparently Shah Rukh wasn't too happy with your increasing friendship with Karan; that Karan was offering you roles. You were earlier supposed to be doing a special appearance in 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', which now Arjun's doing. Shah Rukh Khan's dislike was the cause for unroping you from the film.
No, Karan and I still share a great rapport. In fact, when I was hospitalised in Lilavati, Shah Rukh, with whom I've always been on a 'Hello' basis, actually came and sat with me for two hours in my room. He spoke to me, generally discussed everything under the sun. He's very courteous. There area lot of things heard and said around, but when you know people personally, you know the reality. I won't deny, I am very, very close to Karan; and both he and Shah Rukh come across as genuine and straight people. And I don't think there is a problem with me knowing Karan, or doing a film with him. Yes, I am doing Soham's film for Karan, and I'm saying it for the first time.
Isn't it the film where they are trying to rope in Shah Rukh?
I hope. I hope they get someone like Shah Rukh for that role. It will only help all of us. As far as 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna' goes, Karan told me at some point, 'John, it's better you don't do this role'. It didn't make much of a difference to me if I did it or not. I didn't ask any questions. My equation with Karan is very open and transparent. He's cool and has been very encouraging.
Has Kareena gotten over her reported aversion of working with you, by doing this film?
Is she doing the film? It's a great story, and anybody who is cast rightly will work rightly in it. I have no issues working with any actress, if the casting is right. Maybe in some roles you don't require an actress; you require an animal or a bike.
You had to cut short your schedule of 'Kabul Express' because some high profile people in Kabul were offended by your shooting there. How far is that true?
There were some security issues, but we didn't rub anybody the wrong way there. The Afghan Government really wanted us there. And after God, in Afghanistan, it's Hindi films. After Allah, it's Amitabh Bachchan, and all the Khans are really popular there too. The only reason we came back was because I was shooting there for three days with 103 degrees temperature. After four days, my body clock just stopped and I had to be flown back and admitted to the hospital.
You are doing Nikhil Advani's 'Salaam-E-Ishq' alongside Karan Johar's next film. How come you didn't get caught in the crossfire between the Karan-Nikhil war?
Nikhil has never spoken ill of Karan, nor has Karan of Nikhil. We have never come to the terrain of talking about one to the other. They are both very courteous people. And I am only concerned with my work. I do my job honestly and leave. I am very friendly with Nikhil also, but we never speak of any political thing or gossip. That's something I choose to stay away from. My biggest deterrent in the industry is that I am very scared of politicising things. If people get into the space of camps and political situations, I withdraw.I don't like people who talk ill about anybody; it hurts me to see people just sitting there and gossiping. The energy is very wrong. I don't argue or fight. I don't confront, I just withdraw.
There is a buzz in the air that Bipasha and you are ona break, as far as your relationship is concerned. You are giving each other space, and since your outdoor schedules are one after the other, it's worked out fine, as you don't see each other for a couple of months. Is it time to assess where the relationship is going?
I have not split with Bipasha but you are perfectly bang on about the date schedules. She comes from 'Dhoom-2' and goes to Wai for a shoot. We only have an evening together, and after that, she comes back in a couple of days, andI leave for the world tour. But otherwise, it's the most stable phase of my relationship. I call it the honeymoon period in my relationship. Things are going smooth and nice. Bipasha and me have argued in the past; but of-late we haven't even argued for days together. It's beautiful and I call it bliss. Bipasha is looking her best now and doing great stuff for herself. And I am struggling at the other end too.
So where does Sameera Reddy fit into the scheme of things?
Sameera doesn't fit into the scheme of things. She fit in only as far as my movie 'Taxi No. 9211' was concerned. She was a good co-star and it was brave of her to do that role.I appreciate her for that. She is a fabulous dancer and she made my song look good, and I am happy.
And what about her car been seen at places you are shooting; and its not for 'Taxi No. 9211'?
Oh my God! This is news to me. I honestly don't know what car she drives; me being a bike person. It could be someone else's car around my place.
Is it the phase two of your career? When you entered, banners were all that mattered; now it doesn't seem to, as much...
You are right to a great extent. I feel the banners will happen as far as I'm concerned. For me, the hero of the movie is the script. Yes, in that sense, my priorities have changed. Earlier, I would have insisted on a big banner and I'd have worked with that. The other side of the coin is I am very cautious and even pessimistic about where I come from. I feel everything is transitional. If you lose track of what you are doing, everything will be pulled away from you. So I try and not take things for granted at all, and that's one thing that could hold me in good stead.
You are doing another film with Akshay Kumar even after he cut your role in 'Garam Masala'...
Akshay has never cut my role. I concede that Akshay's been brilliant in 'Garam Masala', and he handled the role much better than I did. To be honest and gracious, he deserved all the accolades he got. But to say that he cut my role is unfair; he genuinely did not. He was far superior in the movie.
Are you cut out for comedy?
Yes, I am, I think. Priyadarshan's 'Garam Masala' was a great training ground for me. I have been rough in parts, and ok in certain parts; and I feel I'll do much better in the future.
Is it a no-no to two hero films for you from now on?
It's a question I have asked myself. I have been doing two-hero projects; whether it's with Nana Patekar, Sanjay Dutt or Akshay Kumar. And there is no conscious effort either ways. Strangely, all the projects I'm doing in the future are all solo hero projects. That's how things have worked out. I get along with my male co-stars fabulously, so I love to do two-hero projects. Either ways, I'm the winner. Either I learn from my co-stars, or in a solo hero project, I learn from my mistakes. I have made a niche look for myself, the audience perceives me differently. So, I am not in direct competition with anybody. A lot of actors are industry made; a lot of actors are audience made. I belong to the latter. I sometimes feel, if a producer reports me it's 'coz of the reaction I get from the audience. My support system is my audience.
To Split Or Not!
Just as the dust of the rumours of the John and Bipasha split was settling, the industry circles were even debating her new found friendship with Vivek Oberoi on the 'Omkara' outdoor in Wai! At that time, John's Yamaha skidded across the newly concreted roads of Bandra, Mumbai. The spinning bike is said to have put the brakes on the John-Bipasha relationship, which was going downhill at breakneck speed. The couple who had so far remained incommunicando with each other, were brought together by a mishap that fatefully played Cupid to the star crossed couple.
Bipasha, who was in Delhi at a fashion show (no John was not heading to her house as has been reported), rushed to her beau's side as he recuperated, and with the Basu bombshell playing Florence Nightingale, it was only a matter of time before John was back on his feet, and his heart was back where it belonged, in Bipasha's treasure chest.
The simpering sceptics are still insistent that this is an arrangement of convenience and the sexizens will go back their own way once the dust settles. But the hopeless romantics pray otherwise. As John ambles back to his feet and estimates the damages to the 8 lakh worth bike, maybe he should view it vis--vis Bips' return to his life. And then, maybe, he will still be in the gain zone!
— Sonali Jaffar
Kumkum Bhagya
Hollywood
Anupamaa
Health and Fitness
