The career of John Abraham can be called an interesting experiment of rebranding and deliberate evolution. Though he exploded into the picture as a model-turned-accidentally-actor, with his bulky physique being used to his advantage in films such as Jism and Dhoom, he has instead neatly and systematically turned his career to the dramatically opposite direction.
This commercially successful early image, which was then known as eye candy, was just a take-off point. Abraham has also quietly revolutionized his identity as a producer of the hard-hitting political drama as well as in creating a cinema that has both entertainment and social relevance in modern-day Bollywood.His relationship to the geopolitical landscape of India and nationalistic storytelling has defined his cinematic legacy that he will leave behind.
Production and Patriotic Narratives
The production house, JA Entertainment, owned by John Abraham has most importantly been the principal means through which he has transformed himself as an artist. The banner has since its opening film, the commercially successful and critically acclaimed Vicky Donor (2012), supported films having prominent themes, usually of a patriotic nature.
A good example is Madras Cafe, a politically set thriller on the action that led to the assassination of an Indian Prime Minister; and, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, a historical drama about the nuclear tests Pakistan conducted in 1998. Such movies are marked contrast to the action and romance he was first associated with and depict somebody committed into narrating stories about notable events in the history of India and its presence in the world stage.
This astute entry into production has not only enabled him to feature in the films which he is convinced in but also control the narrative and thus make sure that the films suit his vision.
A Shift in Star Persona
The development of the career of the actor John Abraham shows a conscious aim at the maturing of the public and professional image. Where his initial work featured him in terms of physicality, his later roles have been accentuated in terms of his stoicism and intensity, which has given him an image as both an action hero and a man with a conscience. He is now seen doing roles that are based on real life incidents like playing a ruthless gangster in Shootout at Wadala to a courageous police officer in Batla House that lends an additional weight to his portrayals.
Such a conscious choice between flamboyant bike-riding rebel to a serious politically-minded filmmaker and actor underscores a star who is actively creating a legacy other than a box office tally. He is using his stardom influence to compile a collection of work that can not only be entertaining but also makes a conversation regarding both the past and present of India.
