John Abraham On Working With Pakistani Artistes: Country Comes Before Anything And It's Non-Negotiable

Known for his patriotic films like Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran, Batla House, Madras Cafe, Romeo Akbar Walter, Satyameva Jayate and The Diplomat, among others, actor John Abraham was asked about his opinion on cricket and films' collaborations with Pakistani players and artistes. Here's what he has said.

John Abraham on working with Pakistani artistes

Sharing his thoughts, John told India Today, "Speaking about my country, India, I'll just use three words to say what I want to say - India comes first."

He continued, "It's simple. What my country has gone through, what my country stands for, it's important at this point of time to put your country's interests before your own and understand. I'm not saying don't be sensitive." However, he supports cross-border collaborations and has no problem working with any artiste in the world, including his neighbours. "We have no problems. I don't think anybody has a problem with anybody, but just like them, for you, your country should come first," he added.

The actor feels that one should look at what our country needs at this time, and should be sensitive to that rather than "making an effort to capture an audience in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh or anywhere in the world."

"They understand what an artiste is going through. They understand why you need to be sensitive. I don't need to be sensitive because I'm not worried about repercussions. Don't be worried about repercussions," he said further.

On national interests, the 52-year-old shared that one has to be confident about themselves, but that confidence has to come with a "sense of conviction as to what you stand for."

For him, country comes before anything, and that is a non-negotiable thing for him in his life. "India first, after that, everything else," he said.

On the work front, John Abraham is currently gearing up for the release of Tehran, which will stream from August 14 on Zee5.