John Abraham is ‘the torch-bearer of nationalism’, his character in Pathaan is an ‘anti-national’: Siddharth Anand

Siddharth Anand called John Abraham a 'smart producer' and also lauded him for agreeing to play the antagonist in the film Pathaan.

John Abraham plays the antagonist in the film Pathaan.

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Pathaan director Siddharth Anand heaped praise on John Abraham for agreeing to play an ‘anti-national’ in the blockbuster film, starring Shah Rukh Khan. John’s portrayal of the antagonist Jim in Pathaan has grabbed attention, and Siddharth appreciated the actor’s courage in taking on the role, despite his popular image. In the film, Jim is the leader of a mercenary group called Outfit X. Jim is also a former RAW agent who has gone rogue.

In a new interview with Film Companion, Siddharth said, “We wanted to create a character that a mainstream actor would agree to do. Hats off to John for agreeing to play an anti-national. He is a guy who is a nationalist. He is the torch-bearer of nationalism. Hats off for his vision to do it in a film that’s titled Pathaan. Hats off to his vision, he is a smart producer. Pathaan would not be the same without Jim (John Abraham’s character).”

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Earlier, Siddharth had also said that John was the first choice to play villain in the film. He said, “He (John) was our first and only choice, and we were certain that we wanted a villain that the audience would cherish forever. I am delighted to see the response that people have showered on John as he takes on Shah Rukh Khan.”

Also read | Shah Rukh Khan has befitting reply for Twitter user who doubts Pathaan’s box office numbers: ‘Tera accountant kya bata raha hai?’

Siddharth expressed enthusiasm for a prequel or sequel about Jim. He said, “It’s too early to talk about anything. I feel, Jim’s character does warrant a prequel. Anything can happen. It’s a universe and you can do anything with the characters – it’s a playground. You can have a prequel to Jim… oh wait, what if Jim is not dead? What if there’s a harness that pulls a parachute?”

Pathaan is continuing to make waves at the box-office and the film has collected Rs 729 crores worldwide in 10 days.

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