- By Aarushi Raina
- Tue, 08 Apr 2025 02:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
John Abraham is receiving praise for his latest release The Diplomat, which received a positive response upon its release on March 14. The film made a decent collection, though it wasn't a record-breaking box office performer. However, the film, which John also produced, was not screened in Middle Eastern countries, similar to many other Bollywood movies that have been banned over nationalist themes. Reacting to this, the actor revealed that he was shocked upon hearing about the ban. He also clarified that the film is not anti-Pakistan.
John Abraham opened up about how The Diplomat did not portray Pakistan negatively. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, the actor said, "People are very myopic in their vision. This is not an anti-Pakistan film. If anything, we showed that the judiciary system in Pakistan is honest. We showed an honest Pakistani lawyer and an honest Pakistani judge. Even the patrolling cars that are taking us to the border had honest policemen. They are actually fighting against the other guys. So, we've in no way demeaned anybody.”
Revealing the conscious decision he made with director and writer to avoid nationalistic jingoism, he continued, “Ritesh Shah wrote a banger of a script, but I also give credit to my director Shivam Nair. I had a conversation with him where I told him that to make ourselves look superior, we don't need to make anyone else look inferior. We don’t have to put down another country or another person to show that we are better or bigger in any way. We walked a thin line."
Emphasizing his point, he added, "Very categorically, Shivam and I discussed that this cannot be a jingoistic film. We’ve seen too many of them in the recent past, and that is not our formula for success. We have to be sensitive to people and countries because there are good and bad people everywhere. We didn’t cheat anybody or sell our souls for the film."
View this post on Instagram
About The Diplomat
The Diplomat is a 2025 political thriller that explores the world of international relations and diplomacy. Directed by Shivam Nair, with the screenplay written by Ritesh Shah, the film stars John Abraham and Sadia Khatee in the lead roles. It also features Prapti Shukla, Jagjeet Sandhu, Ashwath Bhatt, Sharib Hashmi, and Kumud Mishra in pivotal roles. The film draws inspiration from the real-life story of Indian diplomat J.P. Singh and woman Uzma Ahmed, who claims to be an Indian citizen abducted to Pakistan and forced into marriage against her will.