John Abraham: Batla House a bigger human story, beyond encounter saga

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Bollywood actor John Abraham, who is excited about his upcoming Batla House, says the script of the film explores a much bigger human story, which goes beyond just the controversial police encounter that took place in real life. The Nikkhil Advani directorial casts John as DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, who headed the Batla House encounter that took place in New Delhi's Jamia Nagar in 2008.

"To me, Batla House is not just a film about the most controversial encounter in recent times, an incident that got twisted and turned to suit different political agendas. It is a much bigger human story of DCP Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, who went through excruciating personal turmoil in the line of duty". Often in such cases, we just focus on the professional side of a person's life, forgetting the effect it has on their mental wellbeing. The post-trauma stress that Sanjeev Yadav went through, and his struggle to come to terms with it and rise above it, make for an inspiring journey, and I have tried to encapsulate it in the character I play," added the actor.

The Batla House encounter has been one of the most controversial incidents in recent times, and the film shows how the incident was a life-changing experience for the top cop played by John, who had to fight for years to clear his name. While researching for the film with Sanjeev Kumar, John discovered that not only did the event affect the police personnel's life professionally but he also had to tackle personal demons, one of which was dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Most people suffer PTSD when they go through a life-altering situation. The makers have dealt with it as an important part of the film.

"We have tried to bring to our audiences' notice that our police officers are as human as rest of us, and often suffer from issues such as PTSD and other issues in line of duty. This aspect of John's character is one of the most important elements of the storytelling," the film's co-producer Bhushan Kumar, concluded director Nikkhil Advani: "I'm grateful to have had the chance to fearlessly helm a film that even after a decade past the event it is based on, raises unanswered questions. I hope 'Batla House' is that special film which stimulates a social debate of moral and legal conscience." The film opens on Friday.