Are you the new thinking-star-cum-sex-symbol?

I would love to be (laughs).

Your character in Anurag Kashyap’s No Smoking is a chain smoker. Do you smoke in real life too?

I used to smoke occasionally but now I have given up completely. Ironically, I play a chain smoker in No Smoking and (Nagesh Kukunoor’s) Aashayein too.

How much did you smoke for No Smoking? Was it difficult?

I had to smoke approximately 80 to 100 cigarettes per day. It was important for me to smoke. Kumar Mangat (the film’s producer), Anurag and I would discuss how much I should smoke in the film but finally it was okay because Kumarji consoled us by saying ‘at least after this movie there will be many who will give up smoking’.

So what were the after-effects of all that smoking?

My teeth were stained and my lungs were congested. After completing the movie, I got an X-ray done and I was shocked to see the result. My lungs were looking smoky instead of healthy.

Did you face any problem with the Censor Board given the ban on smoking in films?

Smoking is banned; but we had to show it in our movie because it is a story of a chain smoker who suffers because of this bad habit. The censor board couldn’t cut any scene from the film because they couldn’t find anything objectionable. The film is very entertaining, not preachy. The quit smoking message is a by-product.

Anurag Kashyap himself is a chain smoker. Isn’t it funny? Did you convince him to quit smoking?

Ya, he is. But I don’t think he can quit smoking.

Bipasha and you have smoking chemistry in the Dhuan song. Was it your presence in the song that prompted her to take up a special appearance?

It was Vishalji (Bharadwaj) who approached Bipasha. After Beedi he wanted her to be there in his next film too. He told her that the Dhuan number would be one notch higher than the Beedi song. She agreed, without any question.

Do you think an item number was required in the film?

Dhuan is not an item number. It’s a dream sequence.

Anurag is known to improvise a lot...

John Abraham with Ayesha Takia in No Smoking

Anurag is a genius. In the middle of a scene, he can change a word or twist the body language and the end result will be damn good. He amazes you with his spontaneity. He is mad. He told me: ‘It’s your block, do what you want, I’ll tell you if I want any changes.’ Anurag gave me a free hand. Anurag is so good he can work better without a bound script. On the last day of shooting, I asked him when we were doing our next film together.

Do you improvise too?

I am the director’s horse and they are my jockeys. I completely surrender myself to them.

Have you seen his Black Friday?

I saw Black Friday after shooting for No Smoking. It’s a very good film but I must say No Smoking is better. No Smoking is a cult film. It will introduce a new kind of genre. After seeing it, people will start making films like that. It’s a highly stylised film.

I believe you want to do films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. No Smoking also seems surreal...

Yes, that’s my favourite film. No Smoking is part real and part fantasy. My character is called K and he is caught up in a real and imaginary world. People will remain confused.

What’s your character like?

The way my character is introduced in the film describes him completely. He says: ‘Nobody tells K what to do’. He is strange. He smokes everywhere — in the bathroom, bedroom, office, car… In the end, he makes a fool of himself.

This is the first time you are working with Ayesha Takia...

Ayesha is brilliant in Dor and No Smoking. I liked working with her. She is very professional. In a promotional song, I had to blow smoke on her face. I was embarrassed and kept on apologising but she was okay with it.

Your stardom has come from your good looks, bikes and babes. But now you seem to be presenting an image of a ‘thinking actor’ with films like Water, Kabul Express, No Smoking, Aashayien...