Not afraid of failure so I can take risks: John Abraham

22/06/2018

‘Parmanu’ was a difficult journey but your confidence and conviction in the film seems to have eventually paid off…
"Yes, today I feel vindicated, validated and relieved. I was clear about what I was making and that I wanted the film to release, come hail or storm because 'Parmanu' was a special baby. The odds were stacked against us, we had just 10 days to promote the film which released during the IPL semis and finals, just two weeks after 'Raazi' and a week before 'Veerey Di Wedding'. Had it had a smoother release, we might have done better business going by trade estimates, but I’m grateful to the media and the audience for their support. It’s so humbling when people say it’s my best film as a producer and my best performance as an actor that at times I don’t know how to react."
When you look back, what was the darkest phase in this journey?
"When I realised this was a battle I had to justifiably fight alone. I’m a realist, I don’t expect anything from anyone, somebody had to raise their voice and I did. I’m thankful to the High Court and the judge for ruling in my favour, ensuring 'Parmanu' saw the light of the day."
What’s happening with your erstwhile partner Prernaa Arora?
"I have no idea and I don’t think the subject merits a discussion."
This was the first time you collaborated with someone who was not from the industry. Has the experience made you wary as far as choosing production partners is concerned?
"Of course it has. But I am collaborating on 'RAW: Romeo Akbar Walter' as an actor with Ajay Kapoor who was my production partner on 'Parmanu' too and stuck by me to the end, which I really appreciate. We, as an industry, run to where the money is. But after my experience I will tell my colleagues to make sure they know exactly where the money comes from and more importantly, where it doesn’t come from. I’m a beggar for appreciation and money is just a by-product of the journey."
As a producer you’ve always gambled with films like 'Vicky Donor', 'Madras Café' and now 'Parmanu', none of them safe commercial entertainers...
"As a producer, I’ve always aimed to marry content with commerce and ensure that everyone in the distribution chain makes money. But at the same time, I want to explore subjects difficult to make because I’m not afraid of failure so I can take risks. I’ll take full responsibility for the failure of any film made under my banner and if I’m successful, I’d like people to know that I went with my gut instinct. I’m prepared for the bouquets with the brickbats and here, I got the bouquets."
You did but after a hard-won battle against Prernaa. Has the experience put you off production?
"Not at all, I also discovered that there are good people who back honesty and credibility. This has empowered me to back the kind of subjects I want to make even though I know I will face the regular creative questions with them."
For two years, you hardly accepted any acting assignments and now you are on an over-drive. You’ve wrapped up 'Satyamev Jayate', signed another Nikkhil Advani production, 'Batla House', kicked off RAW and then there’s a film with Rensil D’Silva based on the book, 'Moryaa Re: The Ganpati Murders...'
"First, let me clarify that I’m doing a film with Rensil which should happen by the middle of next year and I’m making a web series based on this book but that’s not with Rensil. Rensil’s film is a beautiful human story, around two years of research has already gone into it and anything that comes out of that will be special. 'RAW' and 'Batla House' are probably the most challenging films I’m doing, the subjects were too good to be missed."
What’s coming from your production house?
"I’m co-producing 'Batla House' with Nikkhil. After a long time I’ve found a friend, confidante, producer, director and now a partner in Nikkhil. I wanted to extend my association with him in every count because we’re very happy to be with each other. We are exploring other ideas too but for the moment there’s just 'Batla House' and two web series."

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