If Vin Diesel has a Fast & Furious, John Abraham has the Force series: John

John Abraham draws a confident picture a day before his film’s release. Back into his comfort zone — action — with Force 2, the actor, in a quick chat discusses all things filmy or not...

Does Force 2 have any relevance beyond entertainment?
Absolutely. We were really inspired by Captain Saurabh Kalia’s story—the way his body was mutilated by Pakistanis shook us to the core. Force was a film close to my heart, but it was about one man’s personal grief and revenge. In Force 2 we wanted to move ahead. The idea came organically. Our film is dedicated to the soldiers who gave their lives on the border fighting for our safety.

Was that sentiment thrust on you by political pressure?
Not at all. We haven’t thrust the message down people’s throats. We’ve got the message across through an engaging plotline. There’s no chest-beating, jingoism, or self-congratulating; just a sincere attempt to look at global happenings. People are going to walk out with much fodder for thought.

What makes you so confident about Force 2?
Both Abhinay and I believe that Force is the largest action-franchise of this country. If Matt Damon has a Bourne series and Vin Diesel has a Fast & Furious, John Abraham has the Force series.

What’s your take on sequels?
As far as our sequel goes, this one is not ‘force-fitted’ (laughs). Now we are looking at Force 3.

Recession has hit the industry after the demonetisation. Are you prepared?
We’re practical producers. We’ve worked out the numbers in a way such that we’re financially safe even before the film’s release. The other important part is the audience’s acceptance. I bow my head and say in all humility ‘we’ve made a sincere film’. Going on comedy shows won’t help our film.

Is that why you walked out of Comedy Nights Bachao?
As a meticulous media-marketing planner I have to admit that a lot of the media stuff we do to promote a film is wasteful.

Why don’t you attend award functions or promotional events?
I am totally against city tours and television events to promote a film. I will never blow kisses or throw t-shirts in a mall. Ultimately, it’s the product that counts, not how much you sell it. Awards functions too are a complete no-no for me, but to each his own. Award functions are live shows where actors get paid to perform. The same actors win all the awards every year. I don’t know how that actor doesn’t get bored.