Why John Abraham rejected Anurag Kashyap's movie about bad actor
What's the story
Acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap recently shared an intriguing anecdote about a film role he proposed to actor John Abraham.
In an interview with Indian Express's Creator X Creator, Kashyap revealed that he had offered Abraham a role portraying a "bad actor."
Abraham, however, declined the offer, stating that people already perceived him as a bad actor and he was seeking roles where he could demonstrate his acting abilities.
Film struggles
Kashyap's struggles and the birth of 'No Smoking'
During the time of his proposal to Abraham, Kashyap was grappling with the release of his films, including his debut feature Paanch and Black Friday, which was made in 2004 but wasn't released until 2007.
He shared, "I had three films in the same year, Black Friday, No Smoking, and Return of Hanuman. Back then, I was just looking to make any film."
Then the concept of No Smoking emerged.
Unexpected response
John Abraham's unexpected response to 'No Smoking'
Kashyap was en route to meet Abraham when he began contemplating a new idea for him.
Despite not having seen any of Abraham's films and hearing negative feedback about his acting skills, Kashyap found him impressive in person.
He then narrated the concept of No Smoking to Abraham who surprisingly liked it.
Kashyap recalled, "John took a punt on me. He said let's do this, but I had the entire story in my head and not on paper."
Film development
The journey of 'No Smoking' and 'Ugly'
Upon his return to India, Kashyap presented No Smoking to Vishal Bhardwaj, who had offered to produce a film for him.
The story about a failed actor, initially proposed to Abraham, eventually became the 2013 film Ugly.
Kashyap humorously added, "So I wrote Ugly in a rickshaw, on my way to John Abraham's house, in my head."
Currently, Kashyap is seen in Disney+ Hotstar's Bad Cop.
Current role
More on Kashyap's current role in 'Bad Cop'
Kashyap is currently appearing in the series Bad Cop, where he portrays the role of a gangster.
The show also features actors Gulshan Devaiah, Harleen Sethi, and Saurabh Sachdeva.
In a recent interview for the show, the filmmaker also revealed how he has been arrested before where he spent one night in a lock-up for hitting someone.