John Abraham’s ‘Tehran’ is set for a direct-to-OTT release. In a recent chat with India Today, the actor opened up about whether he was disheartened that the film would not get a theatrical release.
“I totally believe it deserved a theatrical release. I have often said that I am a big-screen actor. But I understand the predicament of this film because what we thought was our biggest advantage — the Iran-Israel conflict — turned out to be our Achilles heel. We were told that the content was supposedly too explosive to get into theatres, if you can read between the lines. And this was not only in India, but even internationally,” John said.
“So I must be thankful to ZEE5 for actually giving it a platform. That’s very important, because I don’t know whether it would have seen the light of day otherwise,” he added.
The actor also spoke about the huge success of ‘Saiyaara’. “I am so happy about the film doing so well. I give credit to Mohit Suri because he directed it so well. He’s gone all out. I am in love with Mohit as a person, and he’s a darling and we all said we’re all celebrating his success. So, hats off to him. But, major credit to Aditya Chopra for getting a film out theatrically with two newcomers. His faith in newcomers worked. I really hope the film goes on to enjoy more success. I want all these films to run because I want people to come back to the theatres.”
When asked if digital can coexist with theatres, he said, “Yes, absolutely. It can co-exist. Look at us. I mean, I’m a guy who only wanted to come in theatres. But today, my film wouldn’t have seen the light of day had it not been for Zee5. So, you must understand and be grateful for where you can be because, at the end of the day, I’m an artiste. I want my work to be seen. And I got that platform. So I am happy.”
John Abraham’s ‘Tehran’ will premiere on Zee 5 on August 14.
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