John Abraham: I Feel Even If You Don't Dramatize Things, Facts Make The Story Very Entertaining
Citing the example of "Vicky Donor" and "Madras Cafe", John said these films set the path for stories such as "Shubh Mangal Saavdhan", "Badhaai Ho" and "Uri: The Surgical Strike".
Films
focusing
on
the
golden
moments
of
India's
defence
history
are
currently
in
vogue
but
John
Abraham,
whose
RAW
(Romeo
Akbar
Walter)
is
set
against
the
backdrop
of
1971
war
with
Pakistan,
says
following
a
certain
trend
to
make
money
is
a
big
no-no
for
him.
The
46-year-old
model-turned-actor
has
been
a
part
of
true-life-inspired
defence
stories
like
"Madras
Cafe",
"Parmanu..." and
now
"RAW".
John
says
he
has
always
found
facts
to
be
more
interesting
than
fiction.
"I
feel
even
if
you
don't
dramatise
things
at
times,
facts
make
the
story
very
entertaining.
They
are
more
interesting
than
fiction," he
told
PTI
in
an
interview
over
phone
from
London.
Citing
the
example
of
Vicky
Donor
and
Madras
Cafe,
John
said
these
films
set
the
path
for
stories
such
as
Shubh
Mangal
Saavdhan,
Badhaai
Ho
and
Uri:
The
Surgical
Strike.
"I
never
look
at
a
trend
because
the
minute
one
looks
at
the
trend
and
starts
following
it
and
it
goes
out
of
fashion,
they
are
in
trouble.
So,
I
make
what
I
believe
in.
Everything
is
cyclical.
There
is
a
phase
when
South
Indian
remakes
are
in
trend,
and
sometimes
comedies,
realistic
films
or
films
on
the
country
work
well.
"As
far
as
I
am
concerned,
the
idea
is
not
to
be
opportunistic
with
a
certain
trend,
but
to
do
what
you
believe
in.
I
believe
in
the
country,
I
believe
in
the
way
the
country
functions,"
he
added.
RAW,
directed
by
Robbie
Grewal,
is
based
on
true
incidents
and
show
how
India's
intelligence
agencies,
especially
RAW,
played
a
crucial
part
in
the
conflict.
John,
who
plays
a
RAW
agent
in
the
film,
said
it
is
important
to
be
responsible
when
dealing
with
stories
revolving
around
the
armed
forces.
"One
needs
to
be
very
responsible
when
you
are
making
a
film
which
is
predominantly
factual,
is
on
the
country
and
involves
the
armed
forces.
And
one
has
to
research
well.
"In
the
case
of
'RAW',
my
director's
father
worked
in
the
military
intelligence
for
four
years.
So
the
research
and
sources
we
got
to
go
to,
to
back
our
information
up,
is
validated.
I
am
sure
no
one
can
turn
around
in
our
film
and
say,
'this
didn't
happen'.
We
are
confident
about
our
research
and
the
information
we
are
giving
in
our
film."
The
actor,
however,
said
the
aim
is
always
to
move
people
emotionally
with
the
story,
even
if
it
is
rooted
in
reality.
"It
is
important
to
make
films
entertaining
and
commercially
viable.
I
am
not
making
a
film
to
educate
people
on
1971
War.
I
am
making
a
film
that
speaks
about
human
relationships.
I
want
to
move
people
emotionally
in
someway
or
the
other
and
I
want
to
make
an
edge-of-the-seat
thriller,"
he
added.
Produced
by
Viacom18
Motion
Pictures,
Dheeraj
Wadhawan,
Ajay
Kapoor,
Vanessa
Walia,
and
Gary
Grewal,
the
film
releases
on
April
5.