Siddharth Anand says John Abraham was 'first and only choice' for Pathaan

The makers of Pathaan released the teaser of the film recently, for the occasion of its lead actor, Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday. The film also features Deepika Padukone and John Abraham where the latter appeared as Khan’s arch-nemesis.

John essays the film's primary antagonist, a ruthless mercenary out to destruct his enemy. In the past, John has played antagonists in films like Dhoom and Ek Villain Returns. 

On casting John for the part, director Siddharth Anand says, “For Pathaan to be larger than life, we needed to have a towering villain who is equally larger than life. We wanted someone who is ruthless and suave and commands an electric presence on screen! So the villain in Pathaan was written keeping John Abraham in mind.”

He adds, “He was our first and only choice, and we were certain that we wanted a villain that they would cherish forever. I’m delighted to see the response that people have showered on John as he takes on Shah Rukh Khan in a blood-soaked, adrenaline-pumping rivalry that will be epic in every sense possible. John is the perfect opposite of Pathaan on screen and we have made their rivalry look deliciously edge of the seat. It will be one hell of a thrilling showdown.”

Pathaan releases in theatres on January 25, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. This is John's first collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan. 

Apart from Pathaan, SRK also has Jawan and Dunki on his cards. On the other hand John's upcoming films are Tehraan and Tariq.