Milap Zaveri on his rift with John Abraham after 'Satyameva Jayate 2' box office failure: 'I was a fan of him, but that love backfired'

After the disappointing performance of 'Satyameva Jayate 2', there were rumors of a falling out between lead actor John Abraham and director Milap Zaveri. Recently, Zaveri admitted that he was so taken with John that he ended up making a film, that showcased the actor more than it told a story. He recognized that his admiration for John backfired, resulting in a few months of silence between them, as John was unhappy with how the film performed at the box office.

'Satyameva Jayate 2', starring John Abraham and Divya Khosla, was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 93 crore, and the poor reception at the box office for the much-anticipated movie shocked many. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, director Zaveri shared that the film lacked a solid story.


Zaveri clarified that, in addition to the film being released during a slow period after the COVID-19 pandemic, his strong feelings for Abraham also led to some negative outcomes. "I was a fan of his and tried to show he could do everything on screen, but that love backfired,” he stated.

When asked about his falling out with the actor, Zaveri shared that there was a period of two to three months after the film's release when John Abraham didn't reach out to him. Zaveri mentioned that he called and texted him, and the actor replied that he was too sad.

"He didn’t say he was upset with me, but he expressed, 'I am sad because so much depended on this film for me.' I was excited about the project, and I was upset that it didn’t succeed. But something had broken between us; both of our hearts were broken because the film didn’t do well,” he mentioned.

The filmmaker further described the film's failure as a major shock that caused John to retreat into himself. However, after some time, they began talking again, and John eventually visited Zaveri, sharing a hug. The actor also expressed a desire to work with Zaveri in the future.

Currently, Zaveri noted that they are close friends but don’t communicate as often as before. He remains eager to collaborate with John on an action film and intends to reach out to him soon. Milap Zaveri is working on his next venture, 'Masti 4', featuring Riteish Deshmukh, and John Abraham will next be seen in 'The Diplomat' and 'Tehran'.
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