For Bollywood romance king John Abraham, New York is not the centre of the world. His comment may sound like a weird way to publicise his thriller New York, but in fact Abraham was referring to his personal take on Uncle Sam.
"In my eyes, America is not the centre of my existence and I believe there is so much more to the world than the US," he says over the phone from Mumbai.
In the highly-anticipated release New York, Abraham plays Sam - a Muslim student in the US who is wrongly suspected of being a terrorist and detained after after the 9/11 attacks.
"Having said that, New York is not a jingoistic or American-bashing flick. Kabir [Khan, the director] has given an objective take on how a certain community has been affected after the 9/11 terror attacks. It's a story that has been well-told."
Although he may insist that his film is objective, Abraham couldn't help but insert a few snippets of his personal experience at the US immigration counter.
"I was pulled up by the authorities at the airport for having an Afghanistan stamp on my passport. But there are two ways to look at the experience. Either you could think they singled me out because I am a coloured Asian, or you could approach it in a more civilised and smart manner. It's all about having the right perspective."
Khan - who shot to fame with his guerrilla warfare film Kabul Express - was at the receiving end too, says Abraham.
"He was denied a US visa because his last name is Khan. But the movie moves beyond our personal experiences and addresses a global issue. I am sure Indians, Iranians, Arabs and almost everybody will identify with the film."
The movie's backdrop may be grim, but the film is hardly a no-frills affair. Song-and-dance numbers with Katrina Kaif and Neil Nitin Mukesh prancing around Times Square have been woven into the tale about terrorism and friendship.
Abraham's alleged affair with leading lady Kaif has also generated buzz.
"About my so-called affair with Katrina, I am just glad my link-up is with Katrina and not with Neil," says Abraham, laughing at his own joke.
For those who came in late, the success of Dostana made Abraham the ultimate gay icon in India. He is one of the few actors who shares incredible chemistry with his male co-stars. His pairing with Bollywood A-lister Abhishek Bachchan in Dostana is still talked about.
"I have learnt to ignore such rumours. I think even the audience can see through it now. Why is it that before a movie's release, the actors are inevitably linked to each other?"
Apart from link-ups, Bollywood's favourite eye-candy has also gone a step further in New York. For the first time ever, Abraham has shot a scene in the nude.
In Dostana, the actor was seen dancing around in swimming trunks and tight vests - despite there being no sea in sight.
"Right now, everybody is talking about the nude scene because they haven't seen the film as yet. Once you have seen it, you will realise there was every justification for doing such a scene. It has been treated with a lot of seriousness and is not there to titillate."
Abraham even goes to the extent of billing his latest role as his best yet.
"New York is one of the most progressive films I have worked in and in terms of performance, this is way more progressive. It's my career best."
Quote unquoteWhen asked if the film New York also touched upon the issue of assaults on Indian students in Australia: "New York has nothing to do with the Australian racist attacks. Had I been opportunistic, I could have said yes and gained some publicity. But I am doing no such thing."
Minding the twang Bollywood actors sporting fake (read grating) accents in films based outside India is a common occurrence.
But John Abraham is quick to set the matter straight. "In New York, our English accents are as neutral as possible. Initially, I was trained by a coach to master the American accent, but it sounded so contrived. In the end, we decided to drop the accent. So you will not see any of us speaking in fake American accents."
New York in a nutshell: Starring John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif and Irrfan Khan, the film produced by Yash Raj Films is about three friends in the US whose lives are turned upside down by the 9/11 attacks. Don't miss it. New York hits the theatres across the UAE on Thursday.
