Parmanu is pro-India and not anti any country: John Abraham

 
After his action drama film Force 2 released in 2016, John Abraham decided to wait until he found the right script. He waited for a while before director Abhishek Sharma who has made movies like Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive and The Shaukeens narrated to him the events of the nuclear test conducted by the Indian Army in Pokhran, Rajasthan in 1998. 
"After Force 2, I could have signed many commercial movies but I was looking out for something credible. Fortunately, Abhishek gave me an idea in January about the nuclear test that India conducted in 1998 and I found the factual information so intriguing that I thought if we didn't change anything, it would still be a very interesting story. Of course, we wanted to stay true to the plot and story. We didn't deviate much," said John while talking to City Times over the phone from Mumbai yesterday afternoon. 
Although Parmanu - The Story of Pokhran, which releases in the UAE today, is based on a true story, the makers changed the names of all the characters. His co-star Diana Penty who made her debut alongside Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan in Homi Adjania's Cocktail in 2012 was blown away when she learnt more facts about the nuclear test and how it brought India into the world map. "First thing that really got me intrigued was the story. I did feel that it was a phenomenal story to tell. It's one of the most important stories in the history of India. We had to share this story. Most of us don't really know what happened in 1998 and how we became the nuclear powerhouse.
"We didn't know about the preparation and research that went into it. This film is an edge-of-the-seat thriller that narrates all of that. When I was reading the script, I wanted to turn the page faster. It's a hugely gripping and entertaining film."
 
The preparation
John plays the role of a junior bureaucrat Ashwath Raina who works in the Prime Minister's Office in the film. He made sure to lose his popular chiselled and well-muscled body for this character. He avoided going to the gym and did not do weight training and tried to have a body like a regular man. 
Diana on her part learnt kickboxing as she is required to fight in a few scenes. The brief given for her character was simple: 'not very tomboy and not very feminine.' "I am the only woman on the mission among the rest of the guys. It was just six of us who came together for the project. The story is not about one man or a woman. It's a team effort." 
John also made it very clear that the movie is not anti-Pakistan. He stressed on the fact the movie is pro-India but doesn't resort to Pakistan bashing. "We have made it very clear that we didn't have a friendly relationship with Pakistan at that point in time. We had American spies, Pakistani spies during that time. We have shown the fact. But we have also been very careful to make sure that the film is not anti-anybody."
"As a producer, I put in a lot of passion and integrity into every story that I want to tell and I guess with every film from my production, the honesty clearly comes across," he added. 
Diana also stressed on the fact that the movie is pro India and any good film doesn't need to take the route of bashing another country. "It's a pro-India film and it doesn't involve bashing anyone else. We have told the story in the most honest and true way. We have fictionalised it, only where it was needed - like we couldn't use real names of people. My character is based on three different people and one of them was a woman. Parmanu doesn't involve bashing of  any other country. Honestly, it would not be a right route to take." 
 
 
Why John will NEVER EVER do an adult comedy:
John: I enjoy all kinds of films. The only thing that I cannot do as an actor and a producer is an adult comedy. I am not equipped to do that. I just feel that I don't have the willpower or inclination to do adult comedy. 
The controversy
Parmanu... is finally hitting the screens today, after its release date was pushed due to a fight between its co-producers JA Entertainment and KriArj Entertainment. John had filed criminal cases against Prernaa Arora and her company KriArj Entertainment, for cheating, breach of trust, defamation and offences committed under the Information Technology Act.
The Bombay High Court ruled in favour of John's banner, ceasing the film's association with KriArj Entertainment.
 
Diana got goosebumps wearing Army uniform
Diana: It is a feeling I cannot describe. I had goosebumps when I wore the uniform. I was wondering if I am even worthy of wearing a uniform. When I got into that uniform for the first time, I wanted to find a way to give back to my country. It made me introspect on how I can become a better person, respect others more and make a difference in others' lives... 
 
'I can sleepwalk through an action film' 
 John: The John Abraham that we have seen in Force 2 and Shootout at Wadala will get a double dose in my next film Satyamev Jayate. I am a big fan of commercial cinema. As a producer, I try and mingle commerce with content. Every film has to be commercial. Parmanu is a commercial film but I try to mix it up with content. I would love to do a comedy film soon. I love being happy and making others happy. I also enjoy doing action films. I can sleepwalk through an action film but I just love action.
 
John on his 'garish' acting days
A former supermodel and an architect, John is largely known for being an action hero but with movies like Madras Café, Kabul Express, Water and No Smoking, he has shown his talent to be taken seriously as an actor and a producer. We asked him about the changes he has seen in the Hindi film industry. since the time he made his debut. The actor candidly spoke about his initial days of acting. "The most heartening change that I have seen in my industry is my performance has been appreciated and thankfully, my garish acting which was considered good acting is now considered a thing of the past. The quality of films overall has improved. We have a lot more amazing films that are happening now than before." 
 
arti@khaleejtimes.com