John Abraham, who was in Chennai two days ago for the promotions of his upcoming film Madras Café, was in for a shock when Naam Thamizhar, a Tamil activist group, protested against the release of the film. The plan to release the film in Tamil has been on right from the time of its inception. But the protesters have threatened that they won’t allow the film to see the light of the day. Reason? Apparently, the group feels that some facts and scenes in Madras Café might affect the sentiments of the locals. “John was expecting a furore of sorts . He is going all out to explain that the film won’t harm anybody’s sentiments. That isn’t his intention or the message that the film sends across,” says a source close to John.

As a producer, John has always wanted to attempt the unconventional. “From Vicky Donor to Madras Café, John has explored subjects that are poles apart in terms of content and script. Acting in a masala film is fine but John won’t make a film that sends out the wrong message. The intention is to follow the new age genre of cinema,” adds the source. Now, back in Mumbai, the actor is already reading scripts and meeting directors to chalk out his future plans. But the newer lot of films in terms of acting and producing will happen only after the release of Madras Cafe.