“To me, Jim was a very powerful character and yes, it would be great if Aditya Chopra wants to bring him back and tell the world how good a super-spy he was and how he became a ruthless mercenary later!”…says John Abraham
Actor John Abraham, who is currently riding high on the success of ‘Pathaan’, hopes that a prequel to his character Jim from the film that reveals his backstory is made.
John said: “It is incredible the amount of love that I have been receiving for playing Jim in Pathaan! As an actor, I only work for the love of audiences and fans. Records and milestones are a huge bonus and I’m grateful that Pathaan is such a historic blockbuster.”
“I didn’t expect that people would love my character so much that they want more of Jim.”
He added: “I’m astounded by the number of messages I’m getting daily on my social media about how there should be a prequel to Jim. When people almost always root for the hero, and that hero is Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan, it is hugely gratifying that people are rooting for the anti-hero too!”
“I’m fortunate that my work in Pathaan has spoken loudly and hopefully, I have managed to give people an anti-hero that they will always remember. That was my intent when I heard Pathaan.”
Speaking of what he loves about Jim, the leader of notorious Outfit X, a band of deadly gun-toting mercenaries on hire, John said: “Jim is a refreshingly suave villain, with very well etched out characterisation that dives into why he became what he became! Imagine the pain he endured, imagine the hurt that broke him and turned him into the man is.”
“To me, Jim was a very powerful character and yes, it would be great if Aditya Chopra wants to bring him back and tell the world how good a super-spy he was and how he became a ruthless mercenary later!”
He added: “As Luthra says in Pathaan, Jim and Kabir are the best in business. So, there could be lots to explore if a film is made on Jim. I don’t know what Aditya Chopra has in mind. As of now, I’m relishing the love that’s coming my way and I’m thankful that I have entertained people thoroughly.”
Continuing its powerhouse run at worldwide turnstiles, Shah Rukh Khan’s espionage actioner ‘Pathaan’ has topped the global box office century mark (that is, in million dollars), getting there in 12 days on Sunday, reports ‘Deadline’.
And now with its earnings going up to $103.6 million through Monday, it is the first Bollywood movie to reach the $100-million milestone without a China release, ‘Deadline’ adds.
The split sits at Rs 526 gross crore ($64.2 million) in India and $39.4 million from overseas markets through Monday. Already, the Siddharth Anand-directed movie is the biggest Bollywood movie ever globally in the original Hindi language.
‘Pathaan’ first Hindi film to make $100 mn without China release
This is where, according to ‘Deadline’, it gets slightly confusing in terms of the records posted. Aamir Khan-starrers ‘Dangal’ and ‘Secret Superstar’, both Bollywood titles, remain ahead of ‘Pathaan’ worldwide, but that includes more than $100 million each from China, where the movies were dubbed for local audiences.
Similarly, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, which features Salman Khan, who also appears in ‘Pathaan’, is still ahead globally, having had a dubbed China release. There is no word yet on a China window for ‘Pathaan’.
In India, notes ‘Deadline’, where box office earnings are measured in both gross and net figures, ‘Pathaan’ maker Yash Raj Films reports that the film’s Rs 438.5 crore net takings on Monday surpassed the net of the Hindi-dubbed version of the Yash-starrer ‘KGF 2’ (it was originally in the Kannada language).
Next ahead of ‘Pathaan’ on a net basis is S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali 2’ with a Rs 510-crore ($61.7 million) lifetime collection in Hindi (the film was originally in Telugu).
Whichever way you slice it, as ‘Deadline’ puts it, ‘Pathaan’ is having an incredible ride.
ALSO READ-‘Pathaan’ is smashing box-office records
