Siddharth Anand Says John Abraham Was Cast in Pathaan as They 'Wanted a Villain Audience Would Cherish Forever'

Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham starrer Pathaan is easily one of the most highly-anticipated films of 2023. The actioner directed by Siddharth Anand will see Khan and Abraham locking horns on the big screen for the first time. The teaser of the film, which was released on the superstar’s 57th birthday, sees Abraham play the role of the SRK’s arch-enemy.

He is presented in an uber cool avatar and it is evident that this villain is a ruthless mercenary, who wants total destruction of his enemy. Needless to say, the teaser has piqued the curiosity of the audience as they are looking forward to watching the two handsome hunks engage in some high-octane action-packed sequences.

And now, Anand reveals only Abraham could have played the role of an antagonist with élan and that he is thrilled that the actor said yes to Pathaan. Talking about how he perfectly fits the bill, the War (2019) director 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.”

Anand further shares that the role of the villain in the film was written keeping Abraham in mind. “He was our first and only choice, and we were certain that we wanted a villain that they would cherish forever. 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,” he adds.

So, how has the response been to the teaser of Pathaan, which would mark Khan’s return to the big screen after more than three years? “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,” he says excitedly.

Pathaan marks Abraham’s reunion with Yash Raj Films thirteen years after filmmaker Kabir Khan’s New York (2009). He has also collaborated with the production house on the adventure film Kabul Express (2006). Produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films, Pathaan is all set to release on Jan 25, 2023 in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu languages.

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