Vivek Agnihotri, director of 'The Kashmir Files,' has stirred controversy by openly criticizing John Abraham's acting abilities, particularly his performance in the 2007 sports drama 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal.' In a recent interview, Agnihotri didn't hold back, expressing his disappointment with Abraham's performance and questioning the industry's star-driven system.
Agnihotri revealed that Abraham was initially cast in 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal' because of his perceived image as a football enthusiast. "Everyone was like, 'Let's take John, he is a footballer.' That's how he became a part of the film," Agnihotri stated. However, he noted that while other actors like Arshad Warsi and Raj Zutshi dedicated themselves to training and improving their football skills for the film, Abraham's performance remained lackluster. Agnihotri claimed that, "in all of John's scenes, we had to shoot his face and feet separately."
The director went on to criticize Abraham's dialogue delivery, implying that the actor struggled to deliver even basic lines. "If someone tells me 'reduce my dialogues' Why? Because you can't say them at once? You can't say five lines of dialogues in rhythm at once. This is your problem," Agnihotri exclaimed, questioning why actors who are unable to meet basic acting expectations are paid exorbitant amounts. "If an actor asks for reduced lines because he can't deliver five sentences in rhythm, then why is he being paid crores?" he questioned.
Agnihotri also pointed to the challenges he faced on set due to the breakup between Abraham and his then-girlfriend, Bipasha Basu. He explained that the emotional fallout between the couple created a tense atmosphere that further complicated the film's production. "In the middle of it all, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham broke up during the making of the film... So, it became very difficult for me to manage everything," Agnihotri confessed.
Furthermore, Agnihotri criticized the film industry's reliance on star power, arguing that it often undermines creative vision and artistic integrity. He stated that the entire ecosystem is dependent on an incompetent, very mediocre actor's intelligence. How the marketing should be done, who should be on the poster. He lamented that the original promise of 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal' was compromised by various artistic sacrifices and the need to accommodate inflated egos.
Agnihotri also touched upon disagreements with screenwriter Anurag Kashyap during the making of the film. He claimed that the production house, UTV, didn't consider him a capable writer and was more interested in working with Kashyap, even though the film's subject didn't align with him. He also said that even UTV executives preferred communicating with Anurag.
Despite the challenges and his criticisms, Agnihotri acknowledged that 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal' had its merits, particularly its music, which became very popular at the time. However, he maintained that the film's potential was ultimately undermined by the issues he faced during production. Agnihotri is currently promoting his next film, 'The Bengal Files', following the success of 'The Kashmir Files'.
