John Abraham at INOX (Forum) on Wednesday morning. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Let me get married first and donate sperms to my wife. Then I will donate some to the world!” John Abraham may have looked a little more tired than usual, but there was no taking away that wacky sense of humour. The Bollywood beefcake was in town on Wednesday to promote Vicky Donor, his first film as producer. A t2 chat...

How different is promoting a film as a producer from promoting it as an actor?

It’s not very different actually because the purpose behind it is the same — to make your film reach out to as many people in the audience as possible. Of course, when you are involved with a film in the capacity of more than an actor, there is a certain sense of ownership. Also, since this is my first film as producer, the excitement is a little bit more (laughs).

After nine years in the business, what prompted you to don the producer’s hat?

Well, I have been toying with the idea of turning producer for a while now. In fact, being from an advertising background (John was a media planner with Enterprise Nexus before taking up modelling and films), I had produced a few ad films. I knew that I wanted to turn producer but I was a little unsure about the kind of film I wanted to make. Shoojit (Sircar, the director of Vicky Donor) and I started talking about two or three years ago for a film called Jaffna that did not take off then. We chanced upon the script of Vicky Donor through a common friend and Shoojit asked me if I wanted to present it. It’s a very unconventional story. I felt that this was a film that needed to reach out to people because something like sperm donation has never been treated in such a fun way.

How has the experience of producing this film been?

As actors, we are a part of a lot of films… projects that are very dear to us and are a very important part of our filmography. We have to be very careful about the films we choose to act in and we have to be even more careful about the films that we take up to put our money and marketing muscle on.

For me, Vicky Donor was the ideal film to start my innings as a producer because everything about the film is perfect. The story is something that hasn’t really been attempted before… the lead pair (Ayushmann Khurrana and Yami Gautam) is also very fresh. I couldn’t have chosen a better film to debut as a producer because the whole process has been very smooth. To have someone like Shoojit Sircar manning a film is more than half the battle won for any producer because he makes the whole experience of making a film completely hurdle-free.

Wasn’t casting rank newcomers in your first production a little risky?

Shoojit had Ayushmann in mind from Day One. Being from a channel like MTV, Ayushmann has a huge connect with the target audience of Vicky Donor. Yami came on board much later but we soon realised that she was perfect for the role. When you see Vicky Donor, you will understand that no one else could have fitted their roles better. Anything I say will not even be half as good as what their performances are.

In fact, Shoojit and I have also signed on Ayushmann for our next film Hamara Bajaj. Ayushmann is multi-talented… he has even composed and sung a song in this film. He’s a complete natural.

Wasn’t there any temptation to cast yourself in a film where you are putting in money and muscle?

That’s a very good question. Most actors who turn producers do not only cast themselves in their first film, it happens in their second film… their third… their fourth! (Laughs out loud). For me, the single-minded intention while associating with Vicky Donor was to test the waters as a producer. I was just happy to do my duties as a producer because that, in itself, is a huge responsibility to take up. Moreover, when you see the film you will understand that there was no way I could cast myself in Vicky Donor because there was no role as such that I could play.

Even in my next production (Kala Ghoda starring Delhi Belly man Kunaal Roy Kapur), I play a very small role.

How involved were you in the creative process?

Well, I was involved in the initial ideation process and when the casting was being done. I didn’t really go much on the sets when Vicky Donor was being shot primarily because I was busy with my own films. I was very active in the pre and post stages, specially in the marketing bit because I would like to believe that I understand quite a bit about how a film should be projected in the minds of the target audience. And now, I have been touring the country with the promotions of the film. So yes, I would like to believe that I have been a hands-on producer.

You attempted physical comedy for the first time in Housefull 2. The film is a hit, though you’ve been panned by critics…

I have always tried to move out of my comfort zone and do something different. I think the process started with Water, Zinda and Kabul Express and then I took it forward with films like No Smoking and Jhootha Hi Sahi. Some will be liked, some will not be liked. But, as an actor, I have to keep doing what I do best. The idea for me as an actor is to make sure that each film is at least a little different from what I have done last. Even the films that I am working on right now — whether it is I, Me Aur Main, Shootout at Wadala or Dostana 2 are diverse in terms of theme and treatment.

You recently said in an interview that no matter how good you are in a film, it always boils down to how you look…

I like it when I am called hot and sexy, who wouldn’t? (Laughs.) It’s wonderful being looked at as a fitness icon. I don’t go to a place of worship. For me, fitness is my religion and my body is my temple. But I want the audience to see beyond my physicality. Looks are transcient… you probably won’t even look at me tomorrow! What stays with you is your talent. It’s time people realised that I am serious about my acting as well. Thankfully, that shift in mindset has already started happening for a while now.