Safe is boring for me: Actor John Abraham (IANS Interview)

In an industry where it's easy to follow a formula, John Abraham likes to break convention. Whether it's with his acting projects or productions, the Bollywood talent says he finds it "boring" to be in a "safe" zone.

A former supermodel, John made his acting debut with "Jism" in 2003 when erotic thriller was not as popular a genre as it is today. Back then, it was clutter-breaking.

And in 2012, when he turned producer with "Vicky Donor", it turned out to be a perfect example of a clean entertainer with a powerful message about a subject as hush-hush as sperm donation.

He opened up on his choice and taste of cinema in an interview with IANS here.

"When I play safe, I fail, and people ask me why, and I say conventional is boring! I will always experiment. 'Jism' was very different, and 'Vicky Donor' as a producer again very different.

"I will always experiment with my films... even if they fail in the short run, they will work in the longer run," said the 43-year-old, who has delivered powerful performances in films like "Water", "No Smoking", "Aashayein" and "Madras Cafe" among others.

"I have to play unsafe. John works when he is experimental, he works when he is unconventional. I cannot play safe; safe is so boring for me that it shows on my face! Safe is monotonous for me," conceded the actor, whose business acumen also comes from the fact that he's an MBA by qualification.

He however likes to maintain a balance between commercial films and those driven by good content.

"I will always first be an actor, then a producer. When the actor's life cycle comes on a low stage, the producer will pick up. As an actor, I will do commercial films like 'Welcome Back' and 'Housefull 2', but will I make them under my banner JA Entertainment? No, I will make a 'Madras Cafe' and a 'Rocky Handsome'.

"I will make a film that has the fabric which I really believe in as a producer. I am driven by content so aggressively that people have got fed up of me. I only concentrate on content. While others are creating films, I am only building a bank of content," he added.

His next production "Rocky Handsome", in which he co-stars with Shruthi Haasan, will have dollops of action -- perhaps much more than some of John's previous action movies. But he's not bothered about being typecast in the genre.

"Somewhere in all the content I see and I explore, there is a basic thread that holds it all together, and that's a little bit of action. I don't have a problem with that and I don't look at it as getting typecast.

"I have the physicality of an action hero. I have signed up for action for my next three films... If I really wanted to be careful, then I'd probably dance," quipped the actor, who's known for his well-built physique.

Besides, the fitness freak also says he enjoys doing the daredevilry.

In fact, he says the USP of Nishikant Kamat-directorial "Rocky Handsome" is "the action that's backed by the emotion or the emotion backed that's by the action".

"With 'Rocky Handsome', I just felt that any amount of good action is worthless without the right and requisite emotion.

(Uma Ramasubramanian can be contacted at uma.sagit@gmail.com)