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John Abraham on The Diplomat being banned in the Middle East: ‘This is not an anti-Pakan film…’ | Bollywood News

When John Abraham‘s The Diplomat hit the screens on March 14, Vicky Kaushal-Laxman Utekar’s Chhaava was still going very strong at the box office. Although there weren’t many Hindi films released during that period, The Diplomat had a slow start, earning just Rs 13.3 crore in its opening weekend and Rs 19.15 crore in its first week. However, the movie picked up pace and has even weathered the Sikandar storm, which hit theaters on March 30.
Despite The Diplomat gaining momentum, the film ran into trouble as it was banned in several Middle Eastern countries. However, John, in an interview to Hindustan Times, reiterated that the makers were sensitive about the portrayal of people and countries in the movie. “Ritesh Shah wrote a banger of a script, but credit to Shivam Nair too. I told him that we don’t have to put down another country or another person to show that we are better or bigger in any way,” said John, who pointed out that many recent films walked this line of jingoism. He also said that it was important to understand that there are good and bad people everywhere, and makers should be sensitive about the portrayal of people and countries. “We didn’t cheat anybody or sell our souls for the film.”
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Despite his thorough consideration, The Diplomat faced a ban in the Middle East, and John Abraham expressed his shock and surprise about the myopic vision of a few. “This is not an anti-Pakan film. If at all, we showed that the judiciary system in Pakan is honest. We showed an honest Pakani lawyer and an honest Pakani judge. Even the patrolling cars that are taking us to the border had honest policemen. They are actually fighting against the other guys. So, we’ve in no way demeaned anybody.”
Talking about how the film found its audience during the release despite the loud silence surrounding The Diplomat, John said, “No one knew when The Diplomat released. There was absolutely no confidence around the film from the partners involved in it.” However, he expressed his gratitude to his critics and audience for keeping the film alive. “Audience always finds the good films.”
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The Diplomat, directed Shivam Nair, revolves around John Abraham’s JP Singh, Deputy High Commissioner of India in Pakan, and Sadia Khateeb, who plays Uzma Ahmed, the woman seeking repatriation to India. When asked about how he seems to be at ease playing a secondary role in a woman-fronted narrative, John said, “You have to be secure as an actor and you need to know what is your intention? Do you want to keep playing a glorified lead or do you want to tell a good story? There’s nothing wrong with either, but I want to do the latter. You have to be a carrier of a good story, which is something that we must reinvent in our industry.”

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