"I would rather be seen than heard" - John Abraham

Posted On: 9-07-07 -Courtesy: Hindustan Times

He is rumoured to have a soured relationship with co-star Arshad Warsi and split from long-time girlfriend Bipasha Basu, but John Abraham is unfazed by the grapevine buzz. The actor, busy shooting abroad and pursuing his international goals, says his inaccessibility to the media fans the rumours.

Excerpts of an interview:

You seem to have been out of circulation for so long..
That was by choice. I would rather be seen than heard. I've always believed in working quietly and not making tall claims. I always said roles abroad would happen when they happen. At the end of the day Bollywood is my home. I'm damn lucky to be getting all these opportunities. The film industry has been very kind to me. I love the movies!

In Deepa Mehta's Luna you're cast in a mainstream Hollywood film as a mainstream hero.
You think so? A lot of people were taken by surprise. At Cannes, UTV's Ronnie Screwvala was next to me when the announcement was made on stage. He was as surprised as anyone else.

Deepa has shown a lot of faith in me. Talks were on for Luna. But everything came together formally at Cannes. I'm very delighted my co-star is Rachel Weisz. What a performance she gave in The Constant Gardner. Mine is a beautifully etched role in Luna. I play an activist. The heartening thing is my nationality isn't even mentioned. And my character's name isn't Indian.

I met Julia Hill on whose life Luna will be based. She was amazing. We think of activists as mature and boring. Julia is a fun 27-year-old, funky yet passionate about her work.

Julia Hill thinks you resemble Antonio Banderas.
I come from a completely different cultural space. But you do feel flattered when you're compared with a good-looking Hollywood icon like Banderas. I'm not even two percent of what he is.

Goal in London was quite eventful.
So I'm informed by the media. It was fun. We've seven-eight days of patchwork to do, and we're complete.

What about your problems with Arshad Warsi?
It's sad when incorrect things are written about me. I want people who read this interview to know I'm not a vindictive person. I'm not going to sit here and clarify my non-existent problems. Every one in the unit would vouch for that. Neither Arshad nor I have spoken against each other. I have no clue who is spreading the rumours. I've been out of the country and pretty much disconnected with what's being said and spread.

Do you think your general inaccessibility fuels such stories?
It's true I'm inaccessible to the media when I'm shooting abroad. So I'm sure the stories come from those who are accessible from abroad. You know what I mean? When I'm consumed by work I don't like to focus on other things.

Even Bipasha Basu was dragged into your supposed fight with Arshad.
Bipasha is a woman of substance. Everything is black or white for her. We are straight, honest and clean. That's all I want to say about this.

Earlier, you were supposed to have problems with Salman Khan?
I personally have no problems with anybody. I don't speak against anyone. One reason why I'm surviving in the industry is because I feel no sense of insecurity. I enjoy my space. I enjoy what I'm doing. I want my films to be inspirational. I want people to go back from No Smoking, Aashayein and Goal entertained and enlightened.