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The Name's John |
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Written by admin
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Monday, 22 May 2006 |
 John as a baby. Photographs raided on Mother's Day
Mother's Day Special, Xplore magazine, with the TOI, Delhi (13 May 2006)
In an age of megastars and superstars and super-duper-stars, here rises a cult.
All unto himself. The real metrosexual. No star child, no godson—just him and pure, unadulterated charisma. Right here, right now, he can take us when no one else ‘Khan’. John Abraham is unconventionally good looking possesses a chic sense of style, flaunts flamboyant hair, has an avant garde image and, what’s more, has even displayed talent. Today, he can set the box office on fire and stroke most female hormonal fancies into a frenzy. And to think he would have been just another model!
For John, as of now, it’s been three years, 15 films, eight products endorsements. The latest is Diet Pepsi, a towering trade name that truly brands on a star. He has his won mobile phone games; Velocity by John Abraham. And now, his won apparel line too: John Abraham by Wrangler. This last prerogative has just catapulted him into the grand league of Hollywood. A-lister. Barely two months old, his web site (www.johnabraham.com) has seen 13.8 million hits, with an isolated server and 5000-plus members.
No longer is it about John Abraham, the film star. Now it’s about John Abraham, the name, the brand.
EQUITY APPEAL
For adman Prahlad Kakkar, John’s brand equity is quite obvious. “He’s young, sassy, smart, charming, sophisticated and good-looking.” He rattles off. “if do believe he’d have made a great gigolo, had he opted for that after modeling.” John’s sex appeal stems not just from physical attractiveness but from his overt sensuality. “He’s a woman’s man because he’s romantic. He’s a man’s man because he’s macho. And he’s a talented actor”, adds Kakkar. The perfect ingredient to make John such an urban phenomenon. “He’s really macho, but he’s not a bad boy”, says fellow actor and girlfriend Bipasha Basu, and in this subtlety lies his lure. “John makes for such a strong brand because his style is effortless and his personality reflects tremendous positivism,” elaborates Bips. In contrast to Bollywood’s typical ‘hero’, John’s unshaven charm, played-down wardrobe fanatical fitness and vegetarianism has created an alternative definition of “sexy”. Come to think of it, he’s the prototype of Bollywood’s male sex symbol!
HUMAN TOUCH
Epithets apart, a certain calm envelops John as he lounges about in his airy Bandra terrace flat, his sweats rolled up. “Haven’t shaved,” he says, hobbling in propping up his recently injured foot on a bean bag. “Not too bad, I hope?” he asks apologetically. The bobble is the result of a bike accent, when he swerved to avoid crashing into guys on a bicycle. If the man’s polite, his humility comes a close second, “Interviewing me is definitely not as satisfying as interviewing Narayana Murthy!” Good looks, polite, humble….. there’s more to John?
For someone idolized as the latest poster boy for adrenaline-driven youngsters, John has a softer, intellectual side too. “This slow rock and alternative music loving former headbanger can spend all day listening to Alter Bridge, Nickleblack, Green Day, Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Led Zep….. The bext book he’ll read? Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, quite aware of the fact that Afghanistan’s national television telecast his songs all day, even as he shot for Kabul Express there. “Please watch my plants, brother!” This to the photographer. “I’ve just planted them. That’s all I’ve been doing since I hurt my foot!”
Simple, huh? Yet it must be quite un-huh, quite a high—no matter how momentary—to be a brand unto your own. To generate the kind of frenzy and revenue that only you can warrant. “But I’m not one to beat his chest and say, “Look at me! Love me! I don’t belong to that genre,” he quips. “Don’t fall hi love with yourself. That’s the profession’s greatest shortcoming; Self-respect is better than self-pride,” he declares, crediting his success to his careful decisions. “If I make a mistake, I can point a finger only at myself,” he proudly affirms Stardom, believes, is achieved over time. “I’m still too new I look at myself as a product, my career as a brand building exercise The person leading this life is a very normal and middle-class guy.”
 John at 2
FITS AND STARTS
That career started in media. planning at Enterprise Nexus. There, seeing his sudden “chaska of working out”, his boss pushed him into entering the Gladrags Model Hunt in 1999, which he won. Then he won the International Man Hunt and modeled overseas for a bit—including becoming Levis’ first Asian model-before returning to India in 2000 to a string of big-budget assignments. “In those days I only wanted to be a very successful model. Modelling was never a to end in films,” he insists. But then Jism happened in 2003. “Had I not ‘performed’ in that movie, I’d been written off!” And was there no looking back thereafter? “Well, there was,” he chuckles, “My next four movies bombed. I had a lot of people saying I was a flash in the pan.” Once-desperate producers suddenly disappeared. Recalls John, “I returned money to one director, telling him I wasn’t financially feasible and he needed a more saleable actor. He couldn’t say it so I had to.” But as he puts it; every dog has its day, “and here I am today!” When he began modelling, all he ‘had was a scrawny frame of 64 kg, and an acne-ridden face. Then he touched 84 kg of pure muscle. “That was my bleeding period,” John remarks. “After that, it’s been a honeymoon. My clothing is a business venture now, not just an endorsement. That’s growth.” But through it all, he’s laid emphasis on being himself: “If you try to be someone else, you will slip. I need people to take me for what I am. That’s where I find my connect.” His connect? His audience. “I’ve repeatedly said this: there are actors who have a strong clout in the industry, actors who are media-made and those who’re audience-made I belong in the third category The fact that John Abraham by Wrangler exists today is because my audience wants it” But he’s done the right stuff too. “Yes, I’ve made the right decisions I’ve worked very hard “Touché!
EVERYBODY SAYS HE’S FINE
Photographer Subi Samuel recalls shooting once with John at 6.30 am. “John was on time, ready and shaven. I wanted a picture of him half-buried in the sand. He had no hang-ups.” He understands his body, ex plains Samuel. “He knows how to position himself, stretch, lean—very few people can pose like him. He’s also ready to experiment”
Director Mahesh Bhatt agrees. “Rarely do you find people who can completely sure render to the director. John did that in Jism, and it proves the boy has courage.” It’s easy to be seduced into the lair of stardom, feels Bhatt, but careers aren’t built purely with big
banners or sexy heroines. To get higher, one must dig deeper. “Unless you can pull out an Inner reservoir and pack a punch in your performance, you can’t sustain your star status. John manages to do that.” So, where does John find his inspiration? “I watch a lot of world cinema: Iranian, French Italian, Portuguese, German. While shooting in Afghanistan, I spent a few days with Siddiq Burmak (the award-winning director of Osama). The experience was fantastic.”
Sounds like a planner then. Something Taxi 9211’s director Milan Luthria endorses. “John’s a complete worry-wart He’s always stressing and fuming. It’s because he’s hungry—hungry for more success. He’s set very high goals for himself and he’s determined to reach them.” His theory about John is simple: “Every generation has a symbol of aspiration and, right now, John’s at the right place at the right time.” His looks are un conventional, his biker habits radical and “women of all ages, from 16 to 60, find him attractive,” says Luthria, “But this is just the tip of the iceberg. He’s a potential superstar!”
VALUE ADDED
But he carefully clears the superstar air. “Don’t be formal with me, please. Achcha, sukhase?” he offers food. “My Gujarati is as fluent as my English,” he says, quick to stress his ‘rooted’ image. Despite his assorted line-page “I’m very proud that I’m a mixed breed. My father is a Malayalee Christian, and his side f the family comprises achievers, all university gold medalists. My mother’s side is Irani, and that’s an achievement by itself” he grins “I take after mom,” concedes mummy’s boy But he’s quite a-religious, like his father “I believe in a supreme being I also believe most problems in the world are caused by excessive indulgence in religion!” Yet, “1’m a normal human being When in trouble, I pray to God”
It’ this deficit of pretence that’s John’s calling card. He’s accessible, he’s responsible, he’s grounded. Friends and family agree “His only habit I fear is the avid biking Otherwise, he’s the same John he always was, except that I don enough of him,” rues mother Phiroza, somewhat shyly Apparently John-the biker’s dream is to own a 100 bikes, says fellow biker and buddy of seven years Sumesh Menon (tarot expert Sunita Menon’s brother). “Even when laid up in hospital with his leg injury John asked me when’d go biking again, while his mom glared at me,” he says smiling “We often Just take off, late in the night, and zoom across town But he won’t even start his bike without a helmet He’s one safe driver To the world he maybe a star but to me he’s my biker boy”
Adds businessman Ashisli Nangia, John’s best friend of 25 years, John’s very proud of the fact that he has dose friends, who’ve lasted through the years Whenever I drop by his sets, he makes sure I’m treated well He’s a very protective friend “And a great brother too, concedes younger brother Alan, an architect and photographer, who describes John as “taller, smarter, better-looking, was always more popular”! As John smiles away, Alan adds, “John’s where he is today purely through hard work and willpower”
“I don’t know why people still ask me how it is to date John Abraham! I’ve been seeing him for a while now and he was attractive to me since day one,” says Bipasha “He’s grounded and intelligent I’ve always felt secure with him And his rise to fame makes me very proud”
“John himself plays it all down, “I don’t know if I’m the ‘next big thing’ That’s too narcissistic “And yet, his desire is for John the brand to outlive John the person Amen to that!
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 23 August 2007 )
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