“I shot the most physically exhausting scenes of my life,” John Abraham
Actor John Abraham talks about his physique & remedy for homesickness after 3 months of shooting in Philadelphia for New York.
Correct
me
if
I'm
wrong,
but
the
film
is
called
New
York.
Then
why
were
you
shooting
it
in
Philadelphia?
Because
the
topography
is
similar.
A
lot
of
films
located
in
New
York
are
actually
shot
in
Philadelphia.
I
was
shooting
for
three
long
months
and
if
it
wasn't
for
my
parents,
brother
and
sister-in-law
and
Bipasha
visiting,
I'd
have
gone
crazy.
When
they
all
came
to
see
me,
I
stopped
feeling
homesick.
I
was
away
for
so
long,
sometimes
when
I
woke
up,
I
forgot
where
I
was.
Before
Philadelphia
I
was
in
Miami
shooting
for
Dostana
for
three
months.
Homesick?
I
love
Phili.
The
hotel
had
become
a
home.
Now
I
go
to
Boston
for
Abbas
Tyrewala's
film
where
star
with
Abbas'
wife
Pakhi.
She's
perfect
for
the
part.
When I'm away, what I miss most is the ghar ka khana. My parents had come over. But I wouldn't let my mom cook here. No way. I pampered her. Looked after her like a little baby. That's what one is supposed to do with one's parents especially when they get old, no? They need clean healthy air. I think I'll take them to Boston too. Dad is an architect so he loves to check out the buildings and architecture. But before Boston, I come back to Mumbai to do a film called Hook Ya Crook with David Dhawan written by Rensil D'Silva. It's not a typical David Dhawan comedy. We're both excited like two children.
You're
a
good
son.
I'd
really
want
to
believe
I'm
a
good
son.
How
was
the
shooting
in
Philadelphia?
Gruelling
but
very
satisfying.
I
shot
the
most
emotionally
and
physically
exhausting
scenes
of
my
life.
Frankly,
I
haven't
done
an
action
film
since
Dhoom.
It's
a
genre
I
really
enjoy.
This
film
New
York
that
I'm
doing
has
very
effective
action.
I
not
only
had
a
lot
of
running
around
to
do.
But
I
enjoyed
myself.
At
this
point
of
my
career
I
just
want
to
push
myself
beyond
the
limits.
By
wearing
the
briefest
of
briefs
and
giving
an
interview
on
why
you
wore
it?
Oh
that
was
an
endorsement
for
Dostana.
And
besides
I'm
never
ashamed
of
talking
about
my
body.
Though
at
times
I
do
feel
like
a
meat
shop.
So
why
go
on
and
on
about
your
body?
I
am
proud
of
my
physique.
But
I
feel
I'm
also
good
with
emotions.
In
fact
I
perform
the
best
when
I'm
unhappy.
I
function
best
when
in
angst.
New
York
is
your
second
film
with
Kabir
Khan?
I
loved
doing
Kabul
Express
with
Kabir.
I
loved
shooting
in
Afghanistan
right
in
the
midst
of
Taliban.
Now
I'd
love
to
shoot
in
Iraq.
I'm
a
sucker
for
pain
and
agony.
I'd
love
to
shoot
in
Iran.
My
grandfather
was
from
Iran.
My
mother's
cousins
are
in
Iran.
You
collaborate
well
with
your
directors
these
days?
Yes,
I'm
equally
at
home
with
someone
as
commercial
as
David
Dhawan
and
as
niche
as
Nagesh
Kukunoor.
I
believe
as
much
in
my
directors
as
they
believe
in
me.
You
may
be
right
when
you
say
I
was
the
outsider
when
I
did
Dostana
with
Karan
Johar.
But
it
took
me
no
time
to
settle
in.
Karan
is
a
fair
person.
As
for
Abhishek,
he's
no
co-star
or
colleague.
He's
a
friend.
I
dote
on
him.
I
love
him
to
death.
We
never
compete.
We
complement
each
other
in
Dostana.
We
share
a
great
chemistry.
Abhishek
and
I
are
a
couple
in
the
film.
Yes,
so
we've
been
told.
Let
me
ask
you
a
'straight'
question.
Do
you
think
Indian
audiences
are
ready
for
gay
jokes?
I'll
give
you
a
'straight'
answer.
People
laughed
at
the
Kantaben
track
in
Kal
Ho
Naa
Ho.
It
was
very
essential
for
us
in
Dostana
to
not
take
advantage
of
a
certain
sensibility
and
project
that
as
a
caricutural
as
a
joke.
We've
succeeded
in
doing
that
in
Dostana.
Happy
to
be
a
gay
icon?
I've
been
told
that.
And
I
accept
it
very
graciously.
But
women
have
reacted
as
strongly
to
me
in
Dostana
as
men.
Some
have
reacted
to
the
sensuality
others
to
the
fitness.
But
everyone
has
a
query
about
my
body.
Sometime
I
feel
I
belong
to
a
meat
shop.
I
really
am
not
comfortable
talking
constantly
about
my
anatomy.
Very
often
I
don't
know
how
to
react.
Initially
it
was
fun
to
be
regarded
as
a
body-beautiful.
I
wonder
how
audiences
will
react
to
my
physicality
in
my
next
release
Aashayein
where
I've
lost
30
pounds.
No
stripping
in
that?
None
whatsoever.
Not
that
I
believe
that
if
you
show
your
body
you
can't
act
properly.
I
really
like
fielding
questions
on
food,
diet
and
other
cliches
on
health.
I
always
advise
people
to
be
clean
in
body,
mind
and
environment.
Neil
Nitin
Mukesh
who's
shooting
with
you
in
Philadelphia
has
great
respect
for
you?
He's
like
my
younger
brother.
I
love
him
for
the
fact
that
he
dotes
on
his
parents.
He's
a
wonderful
kid
with
a
great
future.
He's
simple
and
clean.
We
spend
a
lot
of
time
together.
Out
there
you've
no
choice.
You
have
a
point.
Deepa
Mehta's
Luna
with
Rachel
Weisz
is
off.
So
I
got
to
know
from
your
article.
Deepa
and
I
haven't
spoken
about
it.
As
for
Kamagatamaru
I'd
still
be
willing
to
play
the
other
lead
because
it's
as
important
as
Akshay
Kumar's
role.
It's
always
a
pleasure
working
with
Akshay.
I'm
very
happy
for
him.
He's
a
very
positive
person.
We
get
along
beautifully.
Why
the
delay
in
the
release
of
Aashayein?
I
think
some
negotiations
are
going
on.
Percept
has
now
decided
to
release
it
around
December.
Aashayein
is
a
beautiful
film
and
Nagesh
is
a
great
storyteller.
What
else
have
you
signed?
Only
Abbas
Tyrewala's
film.
Beyond
that
I
haven't
really
opened
my
accounts
book,
I'm
happy
doing
films
I'm
completely
convinced
about.
I'd
love
to
work
with
Anurag
Kashyap
again.
I
can
talk
to
him
for
hours.
Like
me,
he's
happy
doing
his
own
thing.
I'm
an
off-roader
while
other
actors
are
on
the
highway.
Do
you
miss
home
when
you're
away?
I
miss
the
people
though
not
the
city.
I'm
happy
wherever
I
am
as
long
as
my
work
goes
well.
But
I
like
to
be
in
Mumbai,
though
not
in
the
rains.
I
believe
Mumbai
should
have
rains.
But
we
don't
know
how
to
cope
with
it.
We
don't
have
a
civic
sense.
We
Mumbaikars
have
it
in
us
to
be
an
international
city.
When
I
travel
abroad
I
wonder
why
we
can't
be
like
the
other
big
cities
of
the
world.