John Abraham’s out for a ride

John Abraham is set to take his love affair with motorbikes to the next gear with a special film. To be made under his production company, JA Entertainment, the yet-untitled venture — with John in the lead...

John Abraham is set to take his love affair with motorbikes to the next gear with a special film. To be made under his production company, JA Entertainment, the yet-untitled venture — with John in the lead — will hit the floors next year. Almost 80 per cent of the film will be shot in the Isle of Man, famous for hosting one of the most prestigious and dangerous motorcycle races in the world (last month, Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita died in an accident there; since 2000, 21 riders have died at the races).

“The film’s story will be based in the Isle of Man. It will showcase the relationship between three to four bikers, have a romantic angle and lots of bonhomie. John plans to package it in a way that even those who aren’t interested in bikes will like it. Through the film, he will focus on riding safely as well,” says an insider.

John plans to travel to the Isle of Man prior to the shoot to practise biking on the rough terrain. The insider adds, “The average speed of bikes at the race is around 150-200 kmph. So he has to practise and touch that kind of speed for a realistic portrayal. It’s going to be dangerous, but John is kicked about it,” adds the insider.

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The project is currently at a nascent stage. “The basic idea of the film has come from John, but the scripting process is yet to start. He feels that, after Dhoom (2004), Bollywood needs to come up with a bike-racing film, since India is one of the biggest markets for motorcycles. That’s why it’s going to be a high-budget venture, with costs running into tens of crores,” adds the insider. This is likely to be John’s most expensive film.

When contacted, John says, “I live to ride, and I won’t even mind dying on a bike. People ask me when I will do a romantic film, so this is the time for me to indulge in some romance (with bikes).”

The dangerous Isle of Man
The International Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) is a motorcycle racing event held on the island located between Great Britain and Ireland. The race takes place in a time-trial format on public roads which are cordoned off for the event. The TT races are extremely dangerous because of the high speeds on narrow, twisting streets and roads and lanes flanked by stone walls and buildings.

Between 1907 and 2009, there have been 240 rider deaths during official practices or races. It’s believed that the future of the TT is in doubt due to safety issues, especially Mad Sunday, when any member of the public can ride the mountain section of the course.