Actor-producer John Abraham opened up about making his upcoming release, The Diplomat, during an interaction with India Today. He also spoke about his upcoming project, the political drama, Tehran.
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00:00Uzma Ahmed described Pakistan as the well of death.
00:06An Indian diplomacy pulled an Indian national literally out of the jaws of death.
00:13We are going to talk about the story of Uzma Ahmed, a 28-year-old Indian national who was
00:19trapped in Bunehr in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
00:21We will also talk about the effort of the Indian diplomacy to help an Indian national
00:26trapped abroad.
00:27I remember late Sushma Swaraj, then External Affairs Minister, saying that the Modi government's
00:32foreign policy was never leave one of your own behind.
00:36And with me to talk about the diplomat is superstar John Abraham.
00:40John, as always, welcome on India Today.
00:43Very happy to be here with you.
00:44It's great to have you back.
00:45But you know this, this superstar, who's like really well built, is one day a nuclear scientist.
00:54Another day is a terrorist killing super cop.
00:57And now is a diplomat in the heart of hostile Pakistan.
01:02What made you choose the diplomat?
01:05The story, Gaurav, the script, the script was lying on my table.
01:10No intention to do the film, read it.
01:13And you know, usually when we read Hindi films, like I said, those scripts, kaafi vahiyat
01:16hote hain.
01:17You know, like sometimes you read it and it drops.
01:19For me, this didn't drop.
01:21I read it till the very end and it worked.
01:24And I called up the producer, the co-producer, and I said, I'd love to do this film.
01:28Really?
01:29Yeah, just the story was so intriguing.
01:31And I read it till the last and I said, it's beautiful.
01:34I've seen the film and for me, and I've covered Uzma Ahmed's case.
01:39I'm glad you've seen the film.
01:41I'm very glad you've seen the film.
01:43And for someone like me who covered Uzma Ahmed's case, who knows JP Singh, you know, India's
01:50then Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan, who's reported on the tough situation between
01:54India and Pakistan.
01:56It was actually rewind to those days and seeing so many aspects that even I didn't know what
02:02was happening, except some private conversations, you know, with diplomats at that point of
02:06time.
02:08This was literally pulling her out from the jaws of death.
02:13How did you, you know, get it all together?
02:15A girl, an Indian Muslim woman gets drawn to Pakistan and is taken to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
02:22So you know, how did it all come together for you to depict it, to put it together and
02:26to do it?
02:27I think what I told Shivam first, my director, Shivam Nair, just like your director of the
02:32show, I told my director, you know, we need to get the casting right.
02:38You cannot cast anybody who is a name in this film.
02:43The casting has to be perfect, which is why our first casting was Uzma.
02:48We got this girl called Sadia Khatib, brilliant job she's done in the film.
02:52She's worked hard, done a great job.
02:54And then we cast the other members of the embassy.
02:57And then we cast the guy who's playing Tahir and his friend Basheer, which was, if you
03:02see the casting, it's fantastic, those boys are fantastic.
03:06And the ISI head, you know, played by Ashwat Raina, you know, so I think the casting was
03:11most important.
03:12And then I went into workshops and I'm cutting the long story short, I also did a lot of
03:16coaching.
03:17I had an acting coach.
03:18In fact, I was just coming to that, to play JP Singh cannot be, you know, cannot be very
03:25easy because he has a very warm smile, but he has a very tough interior.
03:29I mean, we met him when he was in the XP division in Delhi and then as Deputy High Commissioner
03:34in Pakistan and then Iran-Pakistan-Afghanistan desk.
03:38He's a tough guy.
03:39Yeah, very tough.
03:40And he's always smiling on the face.
03:42But if you ask him a very pointed question, he'll search you.
03:46He'll search you and say, where's this?
03:48And he's very guarded when he has to be guarded.
03:50He will circumvent an answer when he wants to.
03:52So he's very sharp.
03:54So I spent a lot of time with JP to study his body language, to understand where he
03:58comes from, how he thinks.
04:01My director gave me a lot of input because he spent a lot of time with JP.
04:06And then finally, just doing your workshops, I did my workshops and shot the film.
04:13Shooting was the easiest part.
04:14Really?
04:15Because it's so real, it's so real in terms of, I mean, I've seen the movie and I can't
04:24give it away.
04:25I can't give away the plot.
04:26But I really want to talk about the fact that, I mean, there's a woman in a burqa, she comes
04:30to the Indian High Commission and says, let me in.
04:33Yeah.
04:34Oh my God.
04:36What a tough decision, whether you let her in or you don't let her in.
04:39What are fears that a diplomat would go through?
04:41You were able to depict that with your actions.
04:43What are those fears?
04:45The fear, I mean, again, without letting too much out, one of the fears was, I mean, she
04:50could have been anyone.
04:52She could have come in and bombed the embassy because it could have been anyone.
04:55When you're covered, you don't know whether you're strapped with bombs.
04:58So I think the most difficult decision was to let her in.
05:00But then the call to let her in was also taken because there was a security check done on
05:05the outside.
05:06So there was a sense of, she wouldn't be carrying anything on a person.
05:12So after letting her in, checking her passport, making sure that, so we had to run through
05:17a lot of things.
05:18But the beauty during the shoot was, I was not allowed to meet Uzma's character.
05:23The girl who played Uzma, Sadia, I was not allowed to meet her.
05:27So I did not know anything about her before the shoot.
05:31The first shot in the film where you see me face her, is the first time I saw her.
05:35Really?
05:36Oh, that's where it looks so genuine.
05:37So real.
05:38Because I'm searching.
05:39I'm looking at her and I'm wondering where she's come from.
05:42And I didn't know what she was belting out.
05:44The lines she was saying.
05:45I had no idea.
05:46I had to react to the situation.
05:49So the first time when I see her, I've actually reacted to the situation.
05:53Matlab, peeche ka gate dekh liya, abhi aage ka dekh ke hi jaogi.
05:58That is a fear in my mind, that she could be an ISI spy.
06:02Anybody.
06:03Anybody.
06:04She could be anybody.
06:05She could have any agenda in common.
06:06So I had to really search her and look at her.
06:08And if I don't get my audience there, and if they don't forget John Abraham there, and
06:12if they look at JP Singh there, we have won the battle.
06:16That was very important.
06:17Yeah.
06:18And, so fine.
06:19So you've got this woman inside the embassy.
06:22She could be ISI.
06:24She could be planted there by the ISI.
06:26And yet, you have to take a call that we have to protect her.
06:30That's the decision that JP Singh took.
06:32In a situation where he cannot get answers from his superiors, like a Deputy High Commissioner
06:38is not really, really senior.
06:41I mean, usually a Deputy High Commissioner is a senior guy, especially in Pakistan.
06:45But in this case, he was an officer with just about maybe 12 to 15 years service.
06:49Correct.
06:50And there was no one present when he had to make that decision.
06:51The High Commissioner wasn't there.
06:52Wasn't there.
06:53Yeah.
06:54Yeah.
06:56And it was amazing.
06:57If I remember correctly, Gautam Bambabla and the High Commissioner was in India for a mission
07:03meeting that was happening here.
07:05Honestly, you know the film, you know the script better than I do.
07:09And it's fantastic that you're saying that.
07:11And I had to play that all at the back of my mind.
07:13Yeah.
07:14But Gaurav, what was more important, just like you, when you talk to me, when you do
07:17the show, you know what you're talking about.
07:20I needed to know the geopolitical history of whatever's happening in the world.
07:26And even when I'm standing there and talking to someone, like I'm talking to you now, if
07:30I don't know my background, I wouldn't be able to have a conversation.
07:34And that I had to show in my eyes to my audience.
07:37With your interaction with Uzma and with your interaction with the Pakistani diplomats,
07:41there's one thing that I found very fascinating about your film.
07:44It's happening at a time when India-Pakistan relations are tense, and yet, and yet, you
07:51know, that time, 2017, L.C. was very hot.
07:54Correct.
07:55There were serious exchanges happening at the line of control.
07:57A lot of diplomacy was very tough.
08:00And yet, you've shown Pakistanis not as evil, but the good guys and the bad guys in this film.
08:07Correct.
08:08And I think, credit to my director, credit to my writer, Ritesh Shah, you know, because
08:12the brief that even I had given was, listen, to show yourself as better, you don't have
08:17to show someone else as bad.
08:19Which is our culture, actually.
08:21Yeah, you shouldn't be doing that, which is a fact, right?
08:24So we showed the good and the bad side of Pakistan, like there is a good and a bad side
08:27in India.
08:29You don't need to really be jingoistic about it.
08:31And that's why...
08:32Which you're not in this film.
08:33Which is amazing.
08:34Correct.
08:35The judiciary system of Pakistan, that time, I think the judge was Judge Niazi.
08:37You're right.
08:38Judge, I think, Kayani or Niazi.
08:41Kayani.
08:42Kayani was, sorry, Kayani was judge.
08:44But we've shown the judiciary system as fair.
08:47We've shown a lot of things on the face of it, like they were.
08:51So everything wasn't really bad there.
08:52And I think that's what you walk out with.
08:55That you really appreciate the honesty and the integrity with which we have shown this
09:00film.
09:01And not to bow down to the commercial diktats, that this film will do if we break Pakistan
09:04a little bit.
09:05We've not done that.
09:07But the fact is, we broke Pakistan, but just the right way.
09:12Correct.
09:13Legally.
09:14Correct.
09:15Legally.
09:16We did the right thing.
09:17The judiciary did the right thing.
09:18The correct thing at that time, Munmun Syed, who was a lawyer then, did a fantastic thing
09:23at that.
09:24So we've shown everything the way it was meant to be shown.
09:26Yeah.
09:27Amazing.
09:28Yeah.
09:29And since we were reporting some of these things, though some in hindsight, some right
09:32then.
09:33So for example, there's a very, can I mention what I saw?
09:37Please, just go freewheeling.
09:38I don't know why we are guarded.
09:40Just go.
09:41One thing which I found really fascinating was when JP Singh, the character you play,
09:46brings in the husband, that assaulting husband into the high commission.
09:51That's one of the best scenes.
09:52Oh my God.
09:53And then the wife goes and records the statement in court, and then the Pakistani media comes
09:58right there.
09:59Correct.
10:00So, and that actually happened.
10:01I saw that on Pakistani news.
10:03It happened just, it's there.
10:05I mean, if people want to cross-check this fact, they can just, you know, go on social
10:09media.
10:10It's amazing.
10:11And then he comes out and says, Indians have betrayed us.
10:14And you know, and that's how this film, on a scale of 100, not a scale of 10, how real
10:22is it?
10:23And how much creative liberty has the director taken?
10:26I think, honestly, I mean, if I have to really be honest with you, I think there's a 5%-7%
10:32creative liberty that we've taken in this film, which is the wee bit of the shooting
10:37that happens in the end.
10:38The fag end.
10:39The end.
10:40When we talk about creative liberties in our honest, real films, it's 70% creative liberty.
10:45This is only 3 or 4%, 5%.
10:47So we've been really honest to the film.
10:50There's been a lot of pressure on us.
10:52Gaana daal do, yeh karo, woh karo.
10:55Nothing.
10:56I said, listen, this film will not see the light of day if we corrupt this film.
11:00Which is why I'm speaking to someone who's knowledgeable about this rather than anybody.
11:05It's not disrespecting anybody else, but you understand the space, so you understand the
11:10And that's what I want the youngsters to see, India to see.
11:14This is what makes India cool.
11:15We pull out, like you said, one of our own.
11:18Which is brilliant.
11:19No, because I have seen this and I have reported this and I find this very fascinating.
11:23The manner in which Indians have been rescued from Ukraine.
11:25I was there in Ukraine when Indians were being rescued from there.
11:28Or they've been recovered from other war-torn countries or strife-torn areas.
11:32Even from Yemen or Afghanistan, you know, when people have been recovered.
11:36It's extremely tough.
11:38Because we cover part of foreign policy or we are in touch with diplomats, we know how
11:43tough they work.
11:44And I love your job.
11:45Ah!
11:46Thank you very much.
11:47I love your job.
11:48I love your job.
11:49And you just showed me, but I remember, now I remember watching this when you were running
11:52away from, you know, the shelling in, where was this exactly, in Israel?
11:58Once in Ukraine, the other time in Israel, in Eshkolon, in the southern part of Israel.
12:03When they were bombing that place, when Hamas was bombing that place.
12:06But this is what I want to educate people on, you know, and Gaurav, this is what you
12:09do so well, is people think Israel and Palestine is India-Pakistan one line.
12:15They don't understand the West Bank.
12:16They don't understand Gaza.
12:18It's so intriguing.
12:19When you see Fauda, you get goosebumps.
12:25You know, there's one thing I was about to tell you.
12:27So one that is, I don't want to name another film on Pakistan, which is, when you look
12:33at you, really well built, really smart.
12:36So you'd probably expect Handpump Bukharda jaayenge ek baad phir.
12:39While I love Handpump Bukharda also, I have nothing against it.
12:42But your film depicts the role of a diplomat so well.
12:46And if I may, the Afghanistan bit, that not only gave me goosebumps, I had tears in my
12:55eyes watching that.
12:56I mean, we lost our defense attachรฉ, we lost a senior diplomat, we've lost a security
13:00personnel in Afghanistan.
13:01And you knew them personally.
13:02And yeah, you were able to depict that.
13:04You were able to depict that in this film, without taking away from the main script.
13:09Yeah, I'm so happy you're saying that because it's so important to know what we've gone
13:13through overseas because we don't know.
13:17And I hope this film brings that to light.
13:19Well, I think it really does.
13:21I mean, I've seen the film and I think it really brings to light the tough task of our
13:28diplomats.
13:29Is this the first time something like this has happened?
13:30Absolutely.
13:32You've interacted with JP, you've interacted with our diplomats, their role hasn't really
13:36been highlighted.
13:37They're like the silent workers in the background.
13:39Absolutely.
13:40Gaurav, when I did Madras Cafรฉ, it was the first time a film like that had happened.
13:46When I told someone that I was doing a film called Parmanu, and I remember the narration
13:53happening and someone walking out, they said, isse ek buri script, bura idea humne life
13:59mein suna nahi.
14:00And I smiled.
14:02So all my films that I've produced, my first film was Vicky Donor.
14:04When I made Vicky Donor, they said, yaar kya bana rahe ho?
14:08What a film.
14:09Yeah.
14:10What a film.
14:11And what a discovery in Ayushman.
14:12Yeah.
14:13You know, so I think the diplomat is a first of its kind and I'm so proud.
14:18And you know, films like this, when I really say commercial success doesn't matter because
14:21the credibility that you walk away with this from a film like this is tenfold.
14:26I think India's changing.
14:27I sincerely wish you all the best and I think it should do very well financially for you
14:33so that such films are made even in future.
14:36Because one, the hard work Indians do abroad.
14:40You know that message at that Sushma Swaraj press conference.
14:44That press conference is, and we cover press conferences every week in the Ministry of
14:49External Affairs, perhaps every couple of months when the minister is also there.
14:53But with Sushma Swaraj, they're saying that I want every Indian to know, and she's thanking
14:57Uzma, I want every Indian to know that if you're trapped abroad, come to the embassy,
15:02you have family or you have friends or words to that effect that she'd said then.
15:07It's so amazing.
15:08Gaurav, I saw that in the film.
15:10I saw her press conference when we put it in the film.
15:13I'm not lying to you.
15:14And I'm not lying to you.
15:15I'm not pitching this.
15:16I had tears in my eyes.
15:17I missed her.
15:18I missed her.
15:19And I said, where is she?
15:20I want her back.
15:21I want her back.
15:22I really, it was like a heartbreaking moment.
15:27And I have no political inclinations.
15:29You know, I'm a guy who calls a spade a spade.
15:32The half Parsi in me is pretty capable of doing that.
15:35So I really felt like I wanted Sushma Swaraj back in the world today.
15:41And that's what is so special about this film.
15:43And Revati, special mentions.
15:45She's actually done it, yeah.
15:47You know, the way she's standing in the Ministry of External Affairs and talking to this girl
15:51in Pakistan.
15:53So when we interviewed, I think a colleague of mine had interviewed Uzma Ahmed when she
15:55came back.
15:56And she'd said that, that Sushma ji was talking to me, so I felt like my mother was talking
16:02to me.
16:03What's that effect?
16:04You know, she'd said then.
16:05Yeah.
16:06So, and that you've been able to bring out.
16:07Yeah.
16:08Because it was make or break whether we'll get this lady back from Pakistan or not.
16:11Absolutely.
16:12Absolutely.
16:13I mean, credit to the director, Shivam Nair.
16:14Yeah.
16:15What a job.
16:16And we had to fight a lot of battles, including the studio.
16:20Because, you know, everybody comes from a good place.
16:22Yeah.
16:23But you know, you don't want songs.
16:24You don't want this.
16:25You don't want that.
16:26You want to keep the film pure.
16:27Like there could have been a song of sorrow in any Indian movie when she's trapped in
16:31Buneer.
16:32Yeah.
16:33Oh.
16:34But your depiction of Buneer.
16:35Yeah.
16:36I've never been to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
16:37Yeah.
16:38But it's fascinating.
16:39Yeah.
16:40I mean, it does appear.
16:41Takes you there.
16:42As if you're there in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
16:43Yeah.
16:44It takes you there.
16:45Yeah.
16:46And you feel claustrophobic when you see this girl hold up with these other women.
16:47It's like, man, what is happening?
16:48There is a world out there which is so scary for women.
16:50Yeah.
16:51That's another aspect I wanted to ask you.
16:53Yeah.
16:54Through this film, you've actually been able to bring out the threat women face.
17:00That you meet these very sweet looking men who may be very helpful.
17:03Yeah.
17:04They could be drawing you into a trap.
17:05Yeah.
17:06And a trap where some place like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or that part of Pakistan could well be a human
17:12trafficking center.
17:13Absolutely.
17:14Or women could be trafficked.
17:15Yeah.
17:16And this is something that girls must know.
17:17Yeah.
17:18That everybody who's helping you is not doing you good.
17:21Maybe trapping you for something that's worse in store.
17:24And Gaurav, did you notice in the film, they're so well-versed.
17:28Even the women, they're so well-versed with checking the age of other women through their
17:31ankles.
17:32Yeah.
17:33Through their ankles.
17:34Ankles and holding their wrists.
17:35Which means they're selling them off.
17:36It's not 24 years old.
17:37It's 28 years old.
17:38Just imagine.
17:39It is crazy.
17:40And I think this is the kind of, India needs to see more of these films.
17:45This is important for India.
17:47And I remember we took it to the censor board.
17:50There was not a single cut.
17:52And when our associate producer was walking out, our associate director was walking out,
17:57the censor board member said, I've got a 14-year-old son.
18:00I want him to see this film.
18:01And I think India should watch this film.
18:04And that is important.
18:06That is important.
18:07I'm not looking for, of course, we want commercial success.
18:10And you know, when someone like you tells me, you loved it and you, you know, it really
18:16was real.
18:17For me, that's the biggest reward.
18:19This is a reward for me.
18:20Yeah.
18:21And I'm being honest.
18:22That's why I was excited that one person has seen the film and great, we're doing an interview
18:26because you've seen it.
18:28So you know where I'm coming from.
18:29I don't have to hard sell this film.
18:31No, you don't have to hard sell this film at all.
18:34You know, because look, I've seen the film.
18:36I know the context.
18:37I've met JP.
18:38I mean, I know JP.
18:40I know you and late Sushmaji.
18:43This is something that actually comes together.
18:45And I've seen our diplomats do this all the time.
18:47I mean, they've done that for Uzma.
18:48They've done it for others.
18:49They've done it in other parts of the world.
18:52And sometimes Indians get trapped in all sorts of all different parts of the world.
18:56In Ukraine, you know, when we were trapped, they were very keen to rescue us.
19:00And we said no, but you know, fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
19:03Oh, incidentally, angels is another line that comes.
19:06I don't know if it's there in the film or not.
19:08Actually, we edited it from the film.
19:11Because there is a line where the driver asked me,
19:16he's saying, sir, what do we call them?
19:20I said, son, we call them angels.
19:22That's such a diplomatic term.
19:24So you're like really in.
19:25Yeah, yeah.
19:26But for edit reasons, we had to take out that part of the heartbreaking.
19:31But we've taken out some really good stuff from the film also.
19:33You must put it back at least for the Netflix version.
19:37For the OTT version.
19:39You know, because I'll tell you why.
19:41Each time we interact with our diplomats in Pakistan, when they're back or from...
19:46In Pakistan, I mean, our diplomats have been beaten up in Pakistan.
19:49Yeah, yeah.
19:50You know, including women who've been tailed and...
19:54We actually use that in the film, that it's their wish.
19:57Whenever they want, we'll beat them up.
19:59That's right.
20:00Which is scary.
20:02You know, it's a violation of all Vienna conventions and Geneva conventions
20:06on how diplomats need to be treated.
20:08But our diplomats have been beaten up in Pakistan.
20:12In one instance, I remember one had to be flown into India
20:15on a special medical flight.
20:17Was assaulted so bad.
20:19It's that bad.
20:20And you've been able to depict that ISI on their motorcycle.
20:23It tracks them all the time.
20:25It's a fact.
20:26And all phones tapped, homes tapped.
20:29So Pakistan's a very tough posting for diplomats.
20:32I've been to, like you, I've been to Afghanistan.
20:35I spent three months, I went for Kabul Express.
20:37A film that I did years ago.
20:39But I spent time after that.
20:41And I stayed back in Afghanistan and I roamed around.
20:44And I love the place.
20:45It's beautiful.
20:46Afghanistan is beautiful.
20:47And Afghanis are beautiful people.
20:48They are.
20:49Yeah, I look at an Afghani and I say...
20:53Like we really love you people.
20:54Wow.
20:55And my next film, again, it's not a plug because we're speaking about this space.
20:59It's a film called Tehran.
21:01Oh.
21:02And it's a true incident about an attempt on an Israeli diplomat's life in 2013.
21:07Yes, yes.
21:08In Delhi.
21:09Correct, correct.
21:10And when we did the...
21:11Right next to the Ajman Singh, close to that area.
21:14And when we did the forensics, we found out it was not the Pakistanis.
21:17Yeah.
21:18It was the Iranians.
21:19Yeah.
21:20And the story about this guy who then goes there.
21:21So I learned Farsi for this film.
21:23I learned Hebrew.
21:24Really?
21:25Yeah.
21:26So I've spoken Farsi, I've spoken Hebrew.
21:27And people said...
21:28I said, listen, we're here to make cinema.
21:30And I want a film of mine to go across the world
21:33and people to see it and be proud of this.
21:35Absolutely.
21:36And so I've done it.
21:37People say it's a risk.
21:38I say, high the risk, greater the profits.
21:40Absolutely.
21:41You should do it.
21:42Why won't you do it?
21:43You know, have fun.
21:44Do the Pathans, do the Dhooms of the world.
21:46It's great and I want to do more of those.
21:48You must.
21:49I really love Garam Masala, for example.
21:51Do more of those.
21:52Absolutely.
21:53But balance it out by doing this as well.
21:55Oh, absolutely.
21:56Because this is very important.
21:57But what makes you choose, you know,
21:59movies like Parmanu or Supercop, Batla House.
22:02Or Madras Cafe.
22:03Or Madras Cafe.
22:04Or Diplomat, yeah.
22:05Or Diplomat now.
22:06Because, again, Batla House is one movie
22:08which is very close to my heart.
22:09You know it, yeah.
22:10And in this case,
22:12you think this will encourage others also
22:14to come into this space?
22:15What makes you choose them?
22:16I find it difficult for studios to back me on this.
22:18So I don't know whether others will come into this space.
22:20But hopefully, if this film does well,
22:23then others will be more empowered.
22:25So I hope my audience,
22:27my godfather's my audience,
22:28I hope they back me.
22:29They watch this film.
22:30So we have other filmmakers
22:32who feel a little more empowered
22:33and want to do this.
22:34Like, for example,
22:35you know, I was discussing with you about Malakal.
22:37Yeah.
22:38You know, I want to do a film in South Sudan.
22:40Wow.
22:41And that's again a very fascinating story.
22:43And that has action,
22:44so kids will love it.
22:45Yeah, yeah.
22:46No, everyone,
22:47and everyone must know about Malakal.
22:49It's a very famous film.
22:50It's a very famous film.
22:51And everyone must know about Malakal.
22:53Everyone must know
22:54how difficult is it
22:55for the Indian forces
22:57to...
22:58It's a United Nations...
22:59Can I...
23:00Please, please.
23:01You know the gentleman
23:02I'm playing in the film.
23:03So please,
23:04you're the first one to talk about it.
23:05So,
23:06you know the way
23:07the Rajputana Rifles Regiment,
23:09the Indian Army was deployed there,
23:10the action they saw,
23:12and the valour of Indian soldiers.
23:14Correct.
23:15So tell me more about Malakal.
23:16So Malakal is a story about
23:18the Indians
23:19who were part of
23:20the UN Peacekeeping Force
23:21that went to South Sudan.
23:22Yes.
23:23So North Sudan is Muslim,
23:24South Sudan is Christian.
23:26And there you have
23:27two tribes called
23:28the Dinkas and the Noors.
23:29You know?
23:30And the battle
23:31between these two tribes.
23:32But anyway,
23:33to cut the long story short
23:34without giving gyan,
23:35how our soldiers go there
23:36to protect this one post.
23:38Wow.
23:39You know,
23:40against the rebels.
23:41So the best anomaly,
23:42analogy that I could draw
23:44is 13-hour secret soldiers
23:45of Benghazi.
23:46Yeah.
23:47And that's exactly
23:48how our film's gonna look.
23:49Wow.
23:50You know,
23:51the battle through the night,
23:52we lost a lot of our soldiers
23:53and in the morning
23:54we had some surviving soldiers.
23:55A lot of action,
23:56a lot of adrenaline,
23:57and a completely
23:59different terrain.
24:00But again,
24:01I'm so happy that
24:02you're an audience to this.
24:04I hope a studio
24:05backs it tomorrow.
24:06I sincerely hope so too
24:07because the valour
24:08of the Indian Army
24:09comes out very strong.
24:10But it's a great space
24:12here and I'm so glad,
24:14you know,
24:15you're doing films
24:16like The Diplomat,
24:17you know,
24:18which shows
24:19how Indian diplomacy
24:21is there for Indians
24:22Absolutely.
24:23anywhere,
24:24anywhere in the world.
24:25Absolutely.
24:26And we steered clear of action
24:27because you don't need
24:28to fight.
24:29Everybody said,
24:30are you gonna land a punch?
24:31And I said,
24:32nahi yaar,
24:33this is not that film.
24:34Dialogues are his ammunition.
24:35Which indeed they are.
24:37Except the last 10 minutes
24:38when there's like
24:39ta-ta-ta-ta-ta happening.
24:40Yeah, yeah,
24:41we did that in it.
24:42But it's fun.
24:43We had a good time
24:44taking that.
24:45But that's honestly
24:47just a little bit
24:48and we had a...
24:49I think
24:50Tahir and Basheer
24:51had more fun doing it.
24:53I mean,
24:54so did you.
24:55I loved it.
24:56It's a beautiful movie
24:57and you must,
24:58must watch it.
24:59John,
25:00I wish you all the best
25:01for The Diplomat.
25:03It's a brilliant,
25:04brilliant movie
25:05and you must go
25:06watch that film.
25:07It's all about
25:08Bharat ki Shakti,
25:09Humari
25:10Diplomacy ki Shakti
25:11even in a hostile country
25:13like Pakistan
25:14where you have
25:15some good people also.
25:16Absolutely.
25:17Thanks, John.
25:18Thank you, Gaurav.
25:19Cheers, mate.
25:20It's a pleasure.