In an exclusive interaction with Bollywood Hungama, actor-producer John Abraham opened up about his film Tehran and the difficult decision to release it on OTT instead of in theatres. Known for his action-packed blockbusters and patriotic thrillers, John didn’t shy away from admitting that bypassing a theatrical release was emotionally tough — especially for an actor deeply committed to the big screen experience.
Exclusive: John Abraham opens up about the ‘heartbreaking’ decision of skipping theatrical release of Tehran; says, “Because of the controversies around, theatres were a little wary”
“It’s very disheartening. I mean, I’m not going to mince my words on it, it breaks your heart, especially for an actor who always wants to be on the big screen,” he said, visibly emotional. The film, titled Tehran, explores complex political terrain, involving countries like Iran and Israel. According to John, the nature of the film’s content played a key role in its OTT release. “We had to make a very informed decision on this,” John explained. “Because of the conflict and the controversies happening around, even internationally, theatres were a little wary of picking up a film that had Iran and Israel in it.” John clarified that the makers had two options: either not release the film at all or find a digital platform willing to take the bold narrative forward. Fortunately, Zee5 stepped in”, shared the actor.
“We made an informed decision and said, listen, either we don’t show this film at all or show it somewhere. Zee5 has been gracious and said, okay, listen, we’ll be your platform for you here,” he stated. Despite the circumstances, John remains proud of the film’s artistic integrity and global perspective. He concluded, “I treat this more like a foreign film in a way. When you see the film, you’ll understand what I’m saying,” he said. “It’s got a lot of Farsi in it. It’s got a lot of Hebrew in it. The film’s only one hour, 50 minutes. It would probably not resonate with a larger audience.”
Calling Tehran a bold, multilingual narrative, John expressed hope that the film would still find its audience through digital reach, even if it missed the grandeur of theatres. Fans can now stream Tehran exclusively on Zee5 from August 14 onwards.
More Pages: Tehran Box Office Collection
BOLLYWOOD NEWS – LIVE UPDATES
Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & Upcoming Movies 2025 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.