'Hats off to John for agreeing to play an anti-national'

'Pathaan' director Siddharth Anand heaped praise on John Abraham for agreeing to play an ‘anti-national’ in the blockbuster film, starring Shah Rukh Khan. John’s portrayal of the antagonist Jim in the film has grabbed attention and Siddharth appreciated the actor’s courage in taking on the role, despite his popular image. In the film, Jim is the leader of a mercenary group called ‘Outfit X’. Jim is also a former RAW agent who has gone rogue.

In a new interview with a famed entertainment news agency, Siddharth said, “We wanted to create a character that a mainstream actor would agree to do. Hats off to John for agreeing to play an anti-national. He is a guy who is a nationalist. He is the torchbearer of nationalism. Hats off to his vision to do it in a film that’s titled ‘Pathaan’. Hats off to his vision; he is a smart producer. ‘Pathaan’ would not be the same without Jim (John Abraham’s character).”

Earlier, Siddharth had also said that John was the first choice to play the villain in the film. He said, “John was our first and only choice and we were certain that we wanted a villain that the audience would cherish forever. I am delighted to see the response that people have showered on John as he takes on Shah Rukh Khan.”

Siddharth expressed enthusiasm for a prequel or sequel about Jim. He said, “It’s too early to talk about anything. I feel Jim’s character does warrant a prequel. Anything can happen. It’s a universe and you can do anything with the characters - it’s a playground. You can have a prequel to Jim. Oh, wait - what if Jim is not dead? What if there’s a harness that pulls a parachute?”