John Abraham Says He's Apolitical But Open To Political Scripts Ahead Of Tehran
John Abraham, known for balancing commercial hits with films on political issues, discusses his new film Tehran, set during the Russia-Ukraine war.
John Abraham, known for balancing commercial blockbusters with films on political and national issues, says he does not engage in politics personally but is open to taking on political stories in his work. Ahead of the release of his next film Tehran on August 14, 2025, the actor spoke about why such scripts appeal to him and reflected on his earlier projects like Madras Cafe. The upcoming action-thriller, inspired by true events and set during the Russia–Ukraine war, will premiere directly on ZEE5.
In a recent conversation with India Today, Abraham recounted a formative childhood moment that left a lasting impression on him. 'With Madras Cafe… I felt a drop of waterfall on my face. When I was young, and I opened my eyes, and I saw my mom drawing the curtains, and I asked her in Gujarati because my mom's Irani, Parsi… and I asked her, I said, 'Mummy, Suthayu, what happened?' And she said, 'Rajiv Gandhi was killed last night.' And when I saw the images of him his lotus shoes, his white kurta, and his face… it impacted me somewhere, and I didn't understand why my family was crying and mourning over the loss of Rajiv Gandhi."
He credited filmmaker Shoojit Sircar for bringing Madras Cafe to life, recalling that it was originally set to be his debut production before Vicky Donor took the lead. 'And of course, all credit to Shoojit Sircar to make such a beautiful film, and it just came together for us at that point of time. And Madras Cafe was the first film that I was gonna make in my production… Vicky Donor happened in the midst of that, and we let that start first."
Willing to take risks
Discussing his approach to politically sensitive projects, Abraham said he takes on such work with full awareness of the risks involved. 'I know what I am getting into with my eyes open, even with Tehran, I knew what I was getting into with my eyes open. But then, in management, there is a saying, 'The higher the risk, the greater the profit.' Take the risk, get a voice, have a voice, speak about what you want to speak, and be responsible. I think people see it, people are fair, and people get it, you know."
The world of Tehran
Produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films and directed by Arun Gopalan, Tehran stars Abraham alongside Manushi Chhillar. The screenplay, written by Ritesh Shah and Ashish Prakash Verma, explores the complex geopolitical dynamics involving Russia, Ukraine, China, Iran, and Palestine. Abraham has described it as a 'stunning" and 'gripping" film that blends action with layered global themes.
Speaking to BollywoodLife earlier, John Abraham had said, 'I have Tehran next, it is produced by Dinesh Vijan (Maddock Films). I don't know when it's going to release but we are ready with the film. That has little more action and is hopefully gripping and I hope people take my word for it this time at least."
Upcoming projects
Beyond Tehran, Abraham's upcoming projects include Rohit Shetty's biopic on former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria, the superhero film Munkeeman, a potential Pathaan spin-off focused on his character Jim, and Garam Masala 2.
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