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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
John Abraham doesn't deserve to be paid in crores, says Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri. 'He asked..'
Concerns Over John Abraham's Performance Personal Issues Spilled Onto the Set Creative Vision Overshadowed by Celebrity Influence Commercial Outcome and Future Plans Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri , who is often known for his bold viewpoints and politically intense narratives, has once again touched upon the turbulent creative journey of his 2007 sports drama Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal . In a recent conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, he spoke frankly about the disputes that occurred during the making of the film—particularly the disagreements with screenwriter Anurag Kashyap and the disappointments surrounding lead actor John Abraham 's performance. Agnihotri's remarks pull back the curtain on how hierarchical pressures and celebrity-driven decisions can derail the original vision of a director did not hold back when discussing John Abraham, the lead actor of the film. According to Agnihotri, the actor—who later starred in films like Ek Villain Returns—struggled with his dialogues. He alleged that John requested his lines be shortened, which suggested to the director a lack of preparedness or ability to deliver extended dialogues fluently. Agnihotri seemed particularly disturbed by the idea of high remuneration for actors who, in his view, were unwilling to meet basic acting expectations.'If an actor asks for reduced lines because he can't deliver five sentences in rhythm, then why is he being paid crores?" he told the to the strain, Agnihotri recalled a tense emotional environment during the shoot, as John Abraham was reportedly undergoing a breakup with then-girlfriend Bipasha Basu . The director explained that the emotional fallout between the couple had a ripple effect on the film's atmosphere, making it even more difficult for him to maintain focus and steer the team lamented that the original promise of Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal was undermined by various artistic sacrifices. While the movie featured a catchy soundtrack and carried the potential for success, it ended up being bogged down by off-screen drama, egotistical demands, and insufficient dedication from key players. He remarked that when energy is redirected from script integrity and cinematic storytelling toward accommodating inflated egos and managing underperformance, the soul of a film inevitably the film was released in 2007, it received mixed reactions and failed to make a lasting mark at the box office. According to Sacnilk, it collected around Rs 18 crore in gross revenue. The underwhelming performance reinforced Agnihotri's sense of lost potential. Presently, he is preparing for the release of The Bengal Files, a film that follows his controversial yet commercially triumphant The Kashmir Files, continuing his pattern of provocative cinema.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Vivek Agnihotri slams John Abraham for ‘mediocre acting' in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal: He couldn't say 5 lines of dialogue
Bollywood filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri once again talked about the problems he faced while making the 2007 film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, the filmmaker recalled how John Abraham came on board due to Anurag Kashyap and took a dig at his acting skills, calling it "mediocre". (Also Read: Vivek Agnihotri says Bollywood is in shambles: 'There's a mad rush to release old films') Vivek Agnihotri takes a dig at John Abraham's acting skills. Vivek Agnihotri recently spoke about the behind-the-scenes events during the making of the film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. He revealed that when he was working on the film, the production house UTV didn't consider him a capable writer. According to him, UTV was fascinated by the idea of working with Anurag Kashyap, even though the film's subject did not align with him. Citing industry chatter, Vivek dismissed Anurag's claim that he wasn't even taken along for the film's London schedule, stating that John had come on board primarily because of Anurag. Vivek said that Goal was still a good film for its time, with the film's songs becoming chartbusters. He added, "But there were many problems during that time. In the middle of it all, Bipasha Basu and John Abraham broke up during the making of the film. When you're in love, you have to deal with one set of issues, and after a breakup, a whole new set of problems arises. So, it became very difficult for me to manage everything. Even though I was the director of the film, the entire system was functioning based on the intelligence of a very mediocre actor." Vivek criticises John Abraham, praises Anurag Kashyap Vivek criticised John for his "mediocre acting" and said, "Everyone was like, 'Let's take John, he is a footballer. That's how he became a part of the film. But you tell me, if it's a film about football, what should an actor do? We called a premium league coach to train Arshad Warsi, Raj Joshi, and they all put their soul in preparing, but in all of John's scenes, we had to shoot his face and feet separately. And Arshad had given his all for that film. He questioned me on things, he didn't tell 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. Then why should these actor be given so much money?" About Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal is a 2007 Indian sports drama film directed by Vivek Agnihotri. Set in the UK, the film revolves around a struggling South Asian football club, Southall United, and their journey to regain lost glory. Featuring an ensemble cast including John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, and Bipasha Basu, the story explores themes of identity, racism, and community spirit through the lens of football. Meanwhile, Vivek is now awaiting the release of his upcoming directorial, titled The Bengal Files: Right to Life. It is believed that Vivek's film will delve into the politics of 1940s in Bengal. The film stars Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Govind Namdev, among others, in key roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on 5 September 2025.
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Vivek Agnihotri takes jibe at John Abraham's Goal, slams stardom system in Bollywood
Director Vivek Agnihotri recently recalled his shooting experience with John Abraham during 'Dhan Dhana Dan Goal' (2007). Agnihotri mentioned that he faced challenges while working on the film with Abraham while blaming Bollywood's stardom system that relies on popular 'The Bengal Files' director, in an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, stated that Abraham was cast in the sports-drama since he was himself a footballer. He admitted that "there were a lot of problems that happened," during the shoot of 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal'.advertisementAgnihotri said, "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." "Everyone was like, 'Let's take John, he is a footballer. That's how he became a part of the film. In all of John's scenes, we had to shoot his face and feet separately," he director, without mentioning Abraham, referred to the film 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal', and said, "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. Then why are you taking so much money?"Agnihotri directed 'Dhan Dhana Dan Goal', which also featured Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, Boman Irani, Raj Zutshi, Dalip Tahil, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and others in pivotal director recently launched the teaser for his upcoming political-drama 'The Bengal Files', based on the 1940s communal violence in undivided Bengal. Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Puneet Issar and Saswata Chatterjee, among others, feature in the by Abhishek Agarwal and Pallavi Joshi, the film is presented by Tej Narayan Agarwal and I Am Buddha Productions. 'The Bengal Files' is the third film from Agnihotri's 'Files' series, which previously included 'The Tashkent Files' and 'The Kashmir Files'.The film is scheduled to hit the screens on September 5, Watch
Time of India
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Vivek Agnihotri reveals John Abraham and Bipasha Basu's breakup made Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal shoot challenging: '... there were a lot of problems that happened'
Vivek Agnihotri revealed the troubled making of 'Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal,' citing creative clashes with Anurag Kashyap and UTV's team. He highlighted John Abraham's casting due to Kashyap's influence and the challenges of filming football scenes. Agnihotri also criticized the industry's star-driven system and actors' influence on decisions, questioning high fees for limited performance. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has opened up about the behind-the-scenes drama of his 2007 sports drama Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, revealing how a mix of personal conflicts, creative clashes, and casting challenges made the film's journey turbulent. From tensions with Anurag Kashyap to John Abraham and Bipasha Basu 's breakup during the shoot, Vivek didn't hold back as he revisited the hurdles that plagued the project—while also taking pointed digs at the Bollywood system and its over-reliance on star power. When asked by Dainik Bhaskar about what went wrong with Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, Vivek pointed to a lack of clarity around creative roles. He claimed that UTV, the film's producers, didn't fully recognize him as the writer, and that their team seemed more taken with Anurag Kashyap, despite it not being Anurag's project from the start. Vivek also suggested that Anurag was dealing with personal issues at the time and mentioned that writing had been underway in India for over a year before the film was shot in London. The filmmaker explained that John Abraham joined Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal primarily because of Anurag Kashyap, and throughout the project, John only discussed the script with Anurag, not with him. He also said that even UTV executives preferred communicating with Anurag. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo However, Vivek claimed that the writing team failed to deliver, prompting him to bring in someone else to rewrite and properly format the script, which he felt lacked structure. Despite the issues, he emphasized that he still holds respect for both Anurag and Vikramaditya Motwane as writers. He also took a dig at Anurag Kashyap, claiming that one of his biggest issues is that he talks excessively and often says things he doesn't remember later, especially when under the influence. He alleged that Anurag has apologized to him multiple times in the past and suggested that while both of them speak their truths, Anurag tends to retract his words later with an apology. Vivek reflected on Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, noting that although the film was well-received in 2007 and had popular music, it was plagued with challenges. He revealed that John Abraham and Bipasha Basu's breakup during the shoot made things especially tough for him. Without directly naming John, Vivek criticized the film industry's stardom-driven system, implying frustration with actors influencing key decisions despite what he called their limited competence—ranging from marketing to poster placements. The director further shared that John Abraham was cast in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal largely because of his image as a football enthusiast, which everyone thought made him a natural fit for the role. While Vivek had no objection to John's casting, he noted that during the shoot, actors like Arshad Warsi and Raj Zutshi had visibly improved their football skills thanks to extensive training—something he felt John lacked. As a result, many of John's football scenes had to be filmed by separately capturing his face and feet to make the action look convincing. He also criticized actors who ask for their dialogues to be shortened, questioning why they accept high fees if they can't deliver basic performance requirements like speaking a few lines fluently. He argued that producers should reconsider paying crores to actors who fail to bring real value to a project. Vivek Agnihotri is currently promoting his next film The Bengal Files.
News18
a day ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Vivek Agnihotri SLAMS John Abraham's Acting In Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal: ‘Couldn't Say Five Lines'
Last Updated: Vivek Agnihotri slams John Abraham's performance in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, claiming he couldn't deliver five lines and criticizing Bollywood's star-driven system. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, known for his fiery opinions and politically charged storytelling, has once again revisited the behind-the-scenes conflict surrounding his 2007 sports drama Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. In a recent interview with Dainik Bhaskar, the director candidly addressed his creative fallout with screenwriter Anurag Kashyap and expressed dissatisfaction with lead actor John Abraham's contribution to the film. Agnihotri's comments offer a window into the complex power dynamics of Bollywood's star-led machinery. The film, which starred John Abraham, Bipasha Basu, Arshad Warsi, and Boman Irani, was produced by UTV and scripted in collaboration with Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. According to Agnihotri, however, the writing process was riddled with confusion and misplaced credit. 'The producers didn't see me as a writer," he said. 'They were more impressed by Anurag. He had personal issues at the time and wasn't fully invested, yet everyone, including John and the UTV executives, would only speak to him." Agnihotri claimed he had to step in during post-production to fix what he described as poorly formatted and incomplete dialogues. 'The writing looked like someone had just scribbled with a pen. It wasn't even structured like a proper script," he said. 'Eventually, I brought someone in to rework it." Though his earlier remarks about Kashyap were more acerbic—he once called him a 'drunkard"—this time, Agnihotri tempered his tone, saying, 'I respect Anurag and Vikramaditya as writers." However, he couldn't resist adding, 'Anurag's problem is that he talks too much. He doesn't realise what he says when he's drunk. He has apologised to me multiple times for things he's said." Agnihotri also touched upon the challenges he faced with leading man John Abraham. While he didn't name the actor directly at first, his comments left little ambiguity. 'There's a systemic issue in Bollywood where the whole ecosystem revolves around the intelligence—or lack thereof—of a mediocre actor. They decide who goes on the poster, how the film is marketed, everything," he said. He revealed that despite being cast as a footballer, John's lack of comfort with the sport created logistical hurdles. 'Arshad Warsi and Raj Zutshi had trained rigorously and picked up the sport well. But with John, we had to shoot his close-ups and footwork separately," Agnihotri explained. He further criticised John's apparent struggle with dialogue delivery. 'If an actor asks for reduced lines because he can't deliver five sentences in rhythm, then why is he being paid crores?" The filmmaker also recalled that during the shoot of Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, John Abraham and then-girlfriend Bipasha Basu went through a breakup, which created an additional emotional burden on the set. 'That became very difficult for me to handle," Agnihotri said. Reflecting on the larger picture, Agnihotri stated that the film, despite its popular soundtrack and initial promise, was plagued by creative compromises and star-led interference. 'The project had potential. But when the focus shifts from the script and storytelling to managing egos and accommodating incompetence, something is lost." Currently, Agnihotri is gearing up for the release of his next film The Bengal Files, a follow-up to his critically debated but commercially successful The Kashmir Files. First Published:
