HE has a lot to say. About politics, numbers, films, women, girlfriend Bipasha Basu and of course the yellow trunks he wore for Dostana. Back in the city after a three-month shoot in the US for a Yash Raj film, he is jet lagged but agrees to meet on short notice at his Bandra home. He is sporting a new hair-do, a really close-cropped one, and so refuses to be shot. The dictaphone starts rolling and so does the conversation with…
What was your brief for Dostana?
That I had to be in briefs. In practically the whole film, I am only in my trunks, trust me. (Laughs)
I do. Were you comfortable playing the part of a gay couple with Abhishek?
(Laughs) There was no awkwardness. Abhishek and I make a damn good couple you know. Our chemistry is really good.
So who is the girlfriend of the two?
We both keep arguing about it but in the promo I have said ‘Yeh mera boyfriend hai’. But I believe he is my girlfriend. You know, we haven’t really played gay in a caricaturist manner, expect for a small sequence.
How does it feel to be a gay icon?
Today homosexuality is so open world over. To think that the same gender likes you is a plus.
Have you ever been propositioned then?
Oh, all the time. Be it Philadelphia where I came back from or Miami. Women and men have come up to me to chat. I have been asked ‘Are you single?’
That’s a compliment.
Listen, I can’t take this as a compliment. My trainer Mike Ryan used to go for walking with me and he is a tough guy. And when two tough guys walk together, people look at you and wonder. And before anybody said anything, I would say, ‘He is not my boyfriend.’ In Miami and San Francisco, the best looking men are gay. Can you beat that?
Hmm. Okay, what’s the most exotic compliment you have got?
I was put on the cover of some magazine called ‘Exotic Pleasure’ in Miami! (Laughs)
What does the term metrosexual mean to you?
I have never understood the term. So for me, either you are a man or not. You can’t be metrosexual.
Do you think you are flirty?
I am told I am very flirty. The truth is I am overtly friendly.
Then, how would you woo a girl — with strawberries and cream, chocolates or yourself?
With honesty. When I am honest it shows. I have never belted out lines to a woman until I am honest. No strawberries for me please. (Laughs)
Your favourite pickup line would be…
Pick-up lines? Oh, I love being picked up. I don’t want to pick up anybody. Women should come and pick me up.
And are you romantic at heart?
I would want to believe so. But somewhere down the line, I fail to convey it. I am a romantic more in my head than heart.
So there have been complaints from Bipasha.
Ya, all the time… all the time.
Do you look in the mirror and say you look terrible today?
I never look terrible. (Laughs)
What do your parents say about your acting?
My father loves films like No Smoking, Kabul Express, Zinda, Taxi 9211 not so much so as Garam Masala. But my mother loves the other films. They know that I work hard. And he is a layman haan, my father. He says, ‘John, it’s a fair performance.’ And in films he has said, ‘you are atrocious’ also.
Really?
Yes! He says, ‘what have you done? This is crap’. Even my brother criticises me. They are very straight on. My best friend Vicky sometimes says, ‘John what have you done ya?’ and I say, ‘What to do Vicky?’ (Laughs).
Do you think models can act?
Some models can act. Others are trying to. That’s putting unnecessary weights on their shoulders and saying, ‘Hey listen, all you are is a clothes hanger, so stay there’. That’s not fair. It’s not only about good looks. It also about the way we are projected in front of the audience… There are certain prerequisites that go into making an image that says John Abraham is X per cent saleable.
Okay. Tell me your last thoughts before you sleep.
I only think about what I have to do in future.
I thought you would say Bipasha.
Well, Bipasha has been with me through thick and thin. That’s why I say love exists, but respect for her is eternal. But lately, I have learnt not to speak about our relationship. I will talk about Bipasha. But if you ask me about my plans with her…
Oh, I was going to.
(Laughs) I am not going to discuss that. But I will discuss her as an individual. But right now, John Abraham wants to talk less and do more. I am like wine, I will get better and better with age…
Mid-Day
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