Buzz is, the budget for his political thriller Madras Cafe has been slashed by Rs 10 crore. In a recent interview to this newspaper, John Abraham had indicated that he was unhappy with the way his latest dud, I, Me Aur Main, had been positioned in the market. There was a buzz that the fate of the film would affect his upcoming venture, Madras Cafe. In fact, co-producer of the political thriller, Viacom 18, summoned the actor-producer to their office for some serious plain speak. You could blame it on the economic downturn, or just collateral damage, but the producers have decided to revise the budget for Madras Cafe amid concerns that they will not be able to recover the investments.

According to a source, the meeting started off on a convivial note, with John briefing his investors on the progress on the keenly anticipated film. "But once done, the producers told him that they were going to cut the budget for his film by Rs 10 crore." The film was initially planned on a budget of Rs 32 crore and considerable amount of work has already been done. John, on his part, was not one to give in without a fight. "He argued passionately about how his fans will stand by him and how important it was for the film to be made on the kind of budget initially allocated to him. However, the producers were not convinced," said the source, adding, "Times are bad for every filmmaker. For John, it was some kind of a wakeup call."