Pathaan: Shah Rukh Khan heaps praises on ‘gentle giant’ John Abraham: ‘He called me a national treasure’

In a video released by the producers, Yash Raj Films, SRK spoke about John Abraham and what it was like shooting with someone known for his action movies.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

January 18, 2023 - 3:13 PM IST

Shah Rukh Khan returns to the cinemas after almost five long years with Pathaan and he reveals that he is realizing his 32-year-long dream of being an out-and-out action hero on the big screen! The actor faces off against John Abraham in the movie and the trailer gives glimpses of what one can expect from their on-screen rivalry. In a video released by the producers, Yash Raj Films, SRK spoke about John Abraham and what it was like shooting with someone known for his action movies.

Pathaan: Shah Rukh Khan heaps praises on ‘gentle giant’ John Abraham: ‘He called me a national treasure’

“I’ve known John since I've come to Mumbai. He's one of my first friends or first acquaintances to start with and then (it) turned into friendship. I've known him for years. He's very shy, very quiet, and very reclusive. I met him many times. We were wanting to do a film together. And this happened, by chance. I was very keen, he does it and he was kind enough to accept the role, but he's really a bad guy. He's a top star. He has his own franchises happening and he's got some really cool action films happening. And then to decide to take on a film, in which he's a bad guy. So it takes a lot of guts, takes a lot of confidence in yourself, especially when I see in the Hindi film scenario, heroes don't play bad guys. I'd love to play a bad guy. So I have gained a lot of deep respect for him,” Shah Rukh Khan said.

He added, “It was nice working with him and all so I realized he is a gentle giant. You know when we were doing action and everything. He says...he called me a national treasure and said, ‘I will not hurt you.’ I said you can, it’s ok. He is very shy and I had to do a lot of convincing to tell him it's ok, you can punch me and I won't get hurt. I think he is so proficient in action. He really helped me look nice you know, in body language. It was very kind of him. I think when you are doing a film with a co-star like John, there is a lot to learn from him. Being the star that he is and the respect that he has for me and the way the film has gone off smoothly, and it's a big challenge for someone like him.”

He signed off by saying, “I hope genuinely when Pathaan comes out, one of the most liked characters, genuinely is John's. I really wish it because it takes a lot of guts to do what he has done as an actor and as a star.”

Pathaan is part of Aditya Chopra’s ambitious spy universe. The film also stars Deepika Padukone, Ashutosh Rana and Dimple Kapadia. It is set to release on January 25, 2023, in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.