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John Abraham is a damn handsome hunk of Bollywood and there is no doubt about it. He lights up the screen with his sheer screen presence and with the kinds of role that he is doing at the recent time, John is surely looking promising enough. Balancing both commercial and serious cinema he has proved that he has mettle to impress with his skills apart from his good looks. Here’s a conversation with him on ‘Water’ which after the Oscar nominations is finally arriving at the Indian screens this Friday.

Excerpts from an Interview:

Are you upset about the fact that Salaam-E-Ishq didn’t go down too well with the audience?

Not literally because my track in the film has been appreciated. I’ve no regrets about doing the film. Also I would like to add that the film is better than many Bollywood films. The film has been criticized for its length and that’s about it.

You’re back from Oscars. How do you recount your experience at the festival?

I’ve to admit it has been an eye opener. It’s was a global platform and something I was looking forward to be a part of. It had been a very interesting experience. I’m very happy about it.

What is the kind of response that the film received there?

Incredible in just one word. Not a single person there has said anything negative about it. The film has received positive response and appreciation. On my personal front I haven’t had the time to watch films. I’ve just been doing interviews.

Water has a very different theme and takes a dig on a serious subject. Did it bring any change to your life?

 There were many things in the film that I did for the first time like reciting shlokas and Kalidasa’s poems I like reading poetry but I don’t have much time to dwell in it. Though it hasn’t affected the spiritual side of me but it surely has brought some changes in my personality. I’ve become a more calm person now. I’m no more playing a loud character and screaming my dialogues. In real life in agnostic believing in Supreme Being but here I’m an idealist. It’s a very hard hitting film and a dialogue mouthed but a little girl “Aren’t there any men widows in the world?” expresses exactly how I feel.

What is your role in the film?

Narayan is very calm and poised despite his loss. He’s a very intense and a very internalized person. Deepa and I had a lot of discussions on that. We decided to play the character the way he is in the movie and it works beautifully. In contrast Narayan seems overtly distraught when he finds out about his father. It is conveyed through the lines after he burns the funeral pyre and when he sits with Shakuntala and says, “its’ all about religion it’s all about money in the name of religion”. The expression, the look is what Water is about. I don’t think the character needs to be more distraught, I think the level of pain he feels inside was enough.

Any particular preparation you took for the role?

It was a very different role. I had to learn how to wear the dhoti, a kurta and also had a pair of Gandhi specs on. I learned how to play the flute for the movie

How was it working with a lady director?

I had already worked with a female director Pooja Bhatt before and here I work with Deepa. It’s thoroughly enjoyable experience and a pleasure working with her. It feels good to have a woman call the shots. She is a very serious filmmaker. She seems so fascinated by everything and looks like a child on a playground when she’s directing. She was completely innocent and it was beautiful to watch her at work.

Tell us about your experience working with the cast of the film.

Working with Lisa Ray was nice. Sarala the little kid was a pleasure and so was Seema Biswas who according to me is the most powerful actor I’ve worked with. Waheeda Rehman plays my mother in the film and till date she is a superb actress and is one of the most beautiful women we’ve in our country.

Does the political quandary of the film make you feel helpless?

I pay no attention to it. And one thing let me say, if everyone does what I do, political interference will hardly matter.

Rare Pictures Of Hrithik. Childhood Photos. Stylish Actor Of Bollywood.

Aamir began his career as a child actor in the films Yaadon Ki Baraat (1973), Madhosh (1974) and Holi (1984).

In 1988 he gained stardom in Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak which was his first leading role. He followed this with many other films in the 1990s which either did well at the box office or flopped. After his debut his most successful films included Dil (1990), Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander (1992), Rangeela (1995) and Raja Hindustani (1996).

He acted as well as wrote the screenplay for the film Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993). He has also done playback singing for himself in Ghulam (1998). He was critically acclaimed for his performance a as the “Ice Candy Man” in Deepa Mehta offbeat film Earth (1998).