John Abraham opens up on his passion for fast cars, bikes

We caught up with John when he was enjoying many laps in the new Nissan GT-R on his day off from the shooting of Dishoom last Wednesday.

OHN ABRAHAM IS shooting for upcoming film Dishoom right now in the UAE. John, along with Varun Dhawan, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Nargis Fakhri are in Abu Dhabi for a filming schedule of 40 days, the capital's longest feature filming project to date. We caught up with John when he was enjoying many laps in the new Nissan GT-R on his day off from the shooting of Dishoom last Wednesday.

John Abraham was highly impressed with the Yas Marina Circuit.- Photo by Ryan Liam
How was the experience of driving in Yas Marina Circuit?
Nissan GT-R is called a legend and people who really understand cars and motors love the GT-R. I came in here to experience a dream. Honestly, the Yas Marina Circuit is my favourite circuit. I am not saying this because I am driving here but it is truly my favourite circuit. GT-R is called a supercar killer and the experience of driving it in Yas Marina Circuit was fantastic. This looks like a regular car but it's a supercar killer. It is ridiculously fast. It's always called Godzilla because its power is too massive by any proportion.

Abraham says he loves shooting in the UAE because people are lovely and very welcoming.- Photo by Ryan Liam
Have you driven in any other racing circuit before?
I have done so many other circuits in the world but primarily on motorbikes. I use to travel and watch a lot of the MotoGP, that is the motorcycle equivalent of the Formula One and then I use to ride my bikes on the circuits. I am a rider, I enjoy it and now I am a driver and I love it. I think I will look for a profession as a professional race driver.
How important is safety for you when it comes to driving?
I was driving here and my instructor told me that if I am going above a certain speed, then I need to wear a helmet. I put my seat belt on. It is not about going fast, it is about following the references on the track. These are things that one must follow in real life too. There are rules and rules are meant to be followed. In the film world rules are meant to be broken but in the real world, rules are meant to be followed and I think that's what each one of us must do.
You are an absolute motor freak. From where did this passion begin?
Always. You either have it or you don't. When I was young, I use to stand and stare at the bikes and cars in the showroom for hours. Sometimes I use to cry and say, "Why can't it be mine?" Today, touch wood, I am realising that dream and I want to enjoy and savour every moment of it
Do you remember your first bike/car that you bought with your own hard-earned money?
Yes. I rode for the first time when I was eight years old. With my money, I bought a scooter first. It was a Bajaj Chetak. When it comes to driving, my first car was a 1961 Fiat and I taught all my friends to drive. They give me credit for teaching them and they are better drivers today because they do not cause accidents on the road.
How many bikes do you own right now?
Right now, not many, just about two. But I am getting two more, by the time this shoot is over.
Which is your favourite film or documentary on sports?
I like the documentary on Isle of Man TT. It is called TT3D: Closer to the Edge. It is based on a famous motorcycling race between Ireland and England. It is a street race and probably the deadliest race in the world. I think more than 250 motorcyclists have died. But it is my favourite.
You are shooting for Dishoom in the UAE for a month. How is it going?
Fantastic. In fact, there was a scene that we shot in Yas Marina Circuit but, unfortunately, that didn't involve me. So I took time off and came here on my own. They (the cast of Dishoom) drove other cars but I wanted to drive GT-R, which is why I am here. The experience has been fantastic, even with Dishoom.
Any plans to make a movie on car racing?
I am doing a film on cars and I spoke to the Abu Dhabi Film Commission about it. They have been very cooperative. We want to come back to Abu Dhabi to shoot that film.
You shot for Welcome Back in the UAE. Now you are shooting for Hera Pheri 3 and Dishoom in the UAE. What is it that you like about shooting in the UAE?
I love the UAE because it is very shooting friendly. People are lovely and very welcoming. The weather is great right now. We have come here at the perfect time. And I am enjoying every moment of my time in the UAE. It feels fantastic right now.
Is your next production Rocky Handsome ready for release?
It releases on March 25. The teaser is out and I am getting great feedback. I am very excited about it. Nishikant Kamat and I are coming back together after Force. I am sure we are going to kick some serious butt.
Force 2 is also ready?
Force 2 is with Abhinay Deo. And we want to take the level even one notch higher than Force. So I am super excited about my line-up - it is Rocky Handsome, Dishoom and then Force 2. And I can only vouch for one thing - that I am working with quality directors, content is fantastic and the films are very good.