John Abraham: There is no actor or director who can guarantee success

John Abraham, as an actor and a producer, has proved his mettle in both areas. His last release, director Nikkhil Advani’s Batla House showed where his sensibilities as an actor and producer lie. The actor, who believes in finding an apt cast after finalising a script, says, “When I read stories or sit for narrations, I go with my gut. I don’t listen to anyone else. I believe the hero of any project is a script. There is no actor or director who can guarantee success. It’s the greatest reality of our business today, The days of a big star or a director drawing in an audience are over. Filmmakers have to value their audience, stop chasing money and make some good films instead of announcing how much money their past films have made. That can’t get you far.” John, as a producer, has backed several films in the last six-seven years. The list boasts of successful projects like Vicky Donor, Madras Cafe, Batla House, Force 2 and Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran. In production are a couple of films including Attack and 1911 among others. “My intention has always been to make a good film. The money follows. I don’t care about the money because if I like a film, I can even do it for free. Content is the most important thing for me, and once that falls into place, I can find the right cast, including an actor who can become the Ayushmann Khurrana of tomorrow. I think about what is just for the project. I cast depending on the film and the role. It could be Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan or a new guy. I want to find more newcomers who show some promise. I started out in this industry with Rs 550 in my pocket. Effective loss would have been just that much but I travelled, and moved far. So I am not scared to run risks and I am not afraid of failure.”