Fun factor key element in choosing films: John Abraham

What is John Abraham's motto as an actor? Fun and commercial viability, perhaps in that order. He says that enjoyment is key when it comes to choosing a film.

He knew he would enjoy shooting with Akshay Kumar in "Desi Boyz" and Abhishek Bachchan in "Dostana", amongst the primary reasons for accepting those movies, John told IANS in an exclusive interview.

"I don't look at commercial viability of a film more than I look at how much fun it will be. I know that I will enjoy working in certain films with certain people. I know that when people will watch the film, they will enjoy too," he said.

Apart from acting, John also produces films. He might not look at the commercial aspect of a film as an actor but, as a producer, ensures that no one loses money.

"As a producer, I make sure my product is smartly priced...no one should lose money," he said.

If the model-turned actor has been a part of potboilers like "Desi Boyz", "Dostana", and "Housefull 2", he has also acted in non-commercial films like "Water", "Aashayein" and "No Smoking".

Asked whom he regards as his direct competition in the industry, John said: "No one has done so many non-commercial ventures as I have done; so I don't think there is any competition."

The 40-year-old, currently busy with his next production venture "Madras Cafe", says he picked offbeat films because of the intelligent scripts.

"I liked the scripts, they were intelligent and so I did them... I could have easily done a 'Desi Boyz' and got a hit," he said.

As a first-time producer, he picked up an unconventional theme for "Vicky Donor" and then took another risk by roping in two newcomers as leads for the comedy that highlighted the issue of sperm donation. The film, starring Ayushman Khurana and Yami Gautam, was a runaway success at the box office last year.

He has, however, not been so lucky as an actor with his latest film "I, Me Aur Main".

The film, he said, got mixed reactions because it had a niche target audience.

"Each film has its own target audience... It was a lovely and a sweet film," said the actor who yielded high results when he featured in actioners like "Force".

Viewers prefer him in action roles, he admits, but adds that this can't stop him from trying out other genres.

"I know that my acceptance as an action hero is much higher. So I do action films like 'Force' as well. But I enjoy comedy too," said John, who is also working for social causes.

He is part of a CSR initiative called "Powerlight a Village" by Garnier. The aim is to provide solar electricity to remote villages across the country.

(Anjuri Nayar can be contacted at [email protected])