John Abraham has created a niche for himself with his pulse-pounding action films. The actor’s suave moves, chiselled physique, and electric energy make him one of the finest action heroes of the country. However, the actor also boasts a lesser-known critically acclaimed film in his filmography- Deepa Mehta’s ‘Water.’ Contrary to his usual style, the actor delivered one of his finest performances in the social film. Notably, the actor also amassed laurels from Steven Spielberg and Charlize Theron.

In 2005, John Abraham starred in Deepa Mehta’s ‘Water.’ The film is a part of her Elemental trilogy which also includes titles like ‘Fire’ and ‘Earth.’ While the former was based on Ismat Chugtai’s ‘Lihaaf,’ the latter is based on Bapsi Sidhwa’s ‘Cracking India.’ ‘Water’ is an introspection into the challenging lives of rural Indian widows in the 1940s. The film covers subjects such as child marriage, misogyny and ostracism, which were considered controversial during its release. While the film is not part of common knowledge in the Indian subcontinent, several critics lauded the film. Additionally, the film amassed admiration from international audiences.

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In a recent interview on BookMyShow’s YouTube channel, John Abrahan reflected on the film’s limited visibility in India with respect to its global recognition. The actor also revealed Steven Spielberg and Charlize Theron’s reactions to his performance. During his visit to the Academy Awards that year, he had the opportunity to meet several Hollywood stars. Speaking about it, he recalled how Spielberg lauded the emotional depth of his performance, while Theron also admired his performance.

He said, “When I went to the awards, I had the honour of meeting Steven Spielberg and he loved my performance in Water, whereas no one here even saw it for a day.” He added, “I remember Charlize Theron talking to me and saying, ‘I loved what you were processing,’ but no one here talked about that.”

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The film premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival at its Opening Night Gala. The film was originally going to star Shabana Azmi, Akshay Kumar and Nandita Das. However, due to protests, the makers shelved the project for years. Subsequently, it was revived as an Indo-Canadian production with a new cast. John Abraham, Lisa Ray, and Seema Biswas brought the film to life.