Body doubles need to be given due credit: John Abraham

With films such as Force (2011) and Rocky Handsome, John Abraham seems to have become part of the ‘action club’ in Bollywood. However, the actor believes that body doubles are the ones who “need to be given due credit.”

Actors need to realise that they are getting their a**es saved,” says John, adding, “They (body doubles) must be given credit when it’s due. To be fair to my fraternity, there are some of us who do that silently.”

Fight Club
We are seated with the bulky actor, at his posh office in Khar (W), when he points out that action directors don’t receive the popularity they deserve. “You’ve heard of Farah Khan but have you heard of Allan Amin?” he asks. John explains that most people are aware of dance choreographers but not of action directors.

Watch: John Abraham’s song Tu Mera Hero

“I love dancing. I did it in Dostana (2008) as well as Welcome Back (2015). But why is dance given more preference than action? Our industry is lopsided. If an actor dances well, he or she will dance their way to their graves. But, if an actor does action scenes, their action director is never given credit,” he says.

Clearing the air
John was recently in the news for a supposed scuffle with a fan. The actor clarifies the incident saying he simply “disciplined” the fan. “I found the news piece strange. I disciplined the boy because I saw him nudging Sonakshi Sinha (his co-star in Force 2 ) twice,” says John. He adds that he’s too “non-violent” to hurt anybody. “I don’t have a bone in me to do that. Think logically, if I hit him would he be able to get up? (laughs) I’ll probably break down crying if I hit somebody,” says John.

Watch: Trailer of Force 2

Media mania
Recently, Randhir and Rishi Kapoor were in the news for being violent with journalists during Ganesh Chaturthi. Ask John, if it’s the actor or journalist in the wrong to which he says, “I believe the journalists and the actors both have a point.” He goes on to share an anecdote. “Once, I was reaching home in the middle of the night and at the entrance there was this specific channel that does a lot of gossip stories. A journalist slammed his video camera’s blaring light into my wind screen. I didn’t have a problem with that because he was doing his job. My problem was the light, I could have rammed [ my car] into a child who was standing at the gate. Then who would have gone to jail, him or me? In that sense, the media needs to be more careful,” he concludes.