As filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri noted, he is not someone who pulls punches, and he has reopened the conversation about his film from 2007, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, and taken a direct shot at actor John Abraham, calling him a “mediocre actor” and difficult to work with during the shoot.
In a recent candid interview, The Kashmir Files director opened up about the chaotic production issues behind the scenes, Anurag Kashyap’s involvement, and the performance of John Abraham, which Agnihotri believed kept the film from reaching a high level of success.
“Goal Was Good, But Working With John Was Difficult”
Vivek Agnihotri voiced his frustration about the challenges of producing Goal, stating,
“We had hit songs; the movie came at the right time; we had a great subject, but we just had so many issues. Bipasha Basu and John Abraham broke during the shoot bringing in a whole new set of headaches.”
He went on to say that they were in such a hurry because UTV was crazy about Anurag Kashyap, who also brought John along, even though Agnihotri believed John was not right for the role, saying,
“Everybody was telling me, ‘Let’s take John, he is a footballer,’ which—who cares if you can’t say five lines in rhythm?”
“We Had To Shoot John’s Face And Feet Separately.”
The filmmaker explained how professional players had to be trained for all the actors, including Arshad Warsi and Raj Joshi—but John had to be shot in stages because he had no physical coordination, nor was he performing.
“In all of John’s scenes, we had to shoot his face and his feet separately. Then look at Arshad, he put in everything, he asked about the scenes, he lived the role; not once did he complain to me about cutting his dialogues.”
The director also questioned the paycheques for stars who cannot act:
“Then why am I paying these actors so much when they do not finish the whole scene?”
John Abraham vs Arshad Warsi: A Study in Contrast?
Agnihotri’s praise for Arshad Warsi highlighted his professionalism:
“Arshad didn’t act, he lived the role. Meanwhile, the system was working on the direction of a very average actor, who could not even do five lines properly.”
On Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal was a sports drama made in 2007 about a flailing British–South Asian football club, Southall United. While it addressed many relevant issues—from racism to the power of community—the film ultimately suffered lacklustre commercial performance. Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal starred John Abraham, Arshad Warsi, and Bipasha Basu.
While it is easy to blame Agnihotri for the film’s underwhelming reception—after all, he was the director—it’s also fair to say that Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal is more often remembered for the off‑screen issues than for its merits as a film.
What’s Next For Vivek Agnihotri?
Agnihotri is now focused on preparing The Bengal Files: Right to Life starring Mithun Chakraborty, Anupam Kher, Pallavi Joshi, and Govind Namdev. The Bengal Files: Right to Life is slated for release on September 5, 2025, and will tell the story of Bengal’s political and historical turbulence in the 1940s.
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Box Office Worldwide Verdict
Vivek Agnihotri does not shy away from exposing Bollywood’s inner workings, and his call‑out of John Abraham in Goal sheds light on casting decisions, ego clashes, and how a promising film may fail because of mistaken priorities. With The Bengal Files looming, it will be interesting to see if Agnihotri can deliver a powerful, fearless story—both on and offscreen.
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