The actor will next be seen in 'The Freelancer' web series which will be premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 1 September.
John Kokken. (highonkokken/ X)
John Kokken, who impressed audiences with his spell-binding performances in Tamil superhits like Sarpatta Parambarai (2021), is now playing a significant character in director Bhav Dhulia’s much-awaited extraction series The Freelancer.
The web series triggered huge interest among audiences as it has an international feel to it and revolves around a man looking to extract a young girl held captive in war-torn Syria.
The Freelancer, which has Neeraj Pandey as its creator and showrunner, is based on the book “A Ticket to Syria” by Shirish Thorat.
In an exclusive chat with South First, John Kokken opens up on a number of topics ranging from working on the Extraction series to how Ajith predicted his entry into Bollywood.
A poster of the series ‘The Freelancer’. (highonkokken/ X)
“The Freelancer is very special to me because I grew up in Mumbai and so, I speak Hindi fluently. I did my schooling and my hotel management in Mumbai where I worked in hotels for two years,” he said.
The actor recalled, “I started modelling and eventually, it took me to the South. But even after all that, after 14 years, I landed on a project where I was speaking Hindi.”
He explained, “I play an IB officer named Raghavendra Sethu in the series. The character I play doesn’t have a strong South Indian accent. His Hindi has a tinge of South Indian accent but he is an Intelligence Bureau officer who can speak Hindi decently.”
Elaborating about his character, John Kokken said, “Raghavendra Sethu is work-oriented and determined. He wants to find out who Avinash Kamath is and what he is up to. It is a strong character in the film.”
He revealed that he is playing a positive character, for a change. “It’s unlike the usual characters that I play in all the South Indian films where I get bashed up and killed. In fact, my playing a positive character or for that matter, my coming to Bollywood was something that Ajith sir predicted while I was working with him in Thunivu (2023).”
Destination switched, destiny reimagined. Can the Freelancer flip the reality for Aliya?#HotstarSpecials #TheFreelancer streaming from 1st Sept. only on @DisneyPlusHS#TheFreelancerOnHotstar@FridayStorytel1 @neerajpofficial @DhuliaBhav @ShitalBhatiaFFW @mohituraina pic.twitter.com/uhknTC9OnF
— John Kokken (@highonkokken) August 28, 2023
John Kokken with Ajith in ‘Thunivu’.
About the prediction, Kokken recollected, “During Thunivu, Ajith sir would say, ‘John, I am not joking. I have a very strong feeling that after this, you are going to go to Bollywood and eventually Hollywood.’ He kind of predicted it.”
He further added, “I did laugh it off. I thought he was pulling my leg. However, he reiterated it and said he was very serious about his statement. Interestingly, immediately after finishing Thunivu, I got a call for this series and we started shooting.”
The actor admitted, “Even when I went in to shoot for the first day of The Freelancer, I thought of him and wondered how he predicted this.”
Kokken said he has known the Tamil superstar for the last 10 years, ever since he worked with him in Veeram (2014). “He would always call me and stay in touch with me. He understood where I came from — as an actor struggling to make my name.”
He added, “Somewhere he saw that I had something but it was going to take a little bit of time. He did stay in touch with me even after Veeram. He would keep calling me, motivating and encouraging me and fortunately, I got an opportunity to work again with him in Thunivu and that was when he made this statement.”
About the creator Neeraj Pandey, John Kokken said, “I love his specialisation in the spy genre. For instance, his Special Ops (2020). The teaser of The Freelancer has an international feel.”
John Kokken will be seen next in ‘The Freelancer’. (Supplied)
He remarked, “For the first time, the Indian audience is going to be exposed to an Indian mercenary. Although there were portions that were shot internationally, my portions were primarily shot in Mumbai.”
He then explained the differences between Bollywood and South Indian cinema.
“In the South, I am used to going to the sets and receiving my dialogues 10 minutes before the shot or half an hour before my shot. I would have a page of dialogues to mug. In Bollywood, I get my lines a couple of days in advance. Director Neeraj Pandey’s team is so organised. I love the fact the assistant directors are perfect.”
Kokken further added, “From calling in actors only when they are required to making sure the actors are comfortable, it kind of makes us feel special. All that the actor has to do is just focus on his job and do it right. It kind of helps in a big way. It was a great experience and I loved the team (The Freelancer).”
A picture of John Kokken. (Supplied)
The Freelancer — releasing on Disney+ Hotstar on 1 September — features Mohit Raina in the lead.
The series also casts veteran actors Anupam Kher and Kashmira Pardeshi in key roles besides Sushant Singh, Gauri Balaji and Navneet Malik, Manjiri Faddnis, and Sarah Jane Dias.
It is a one-of-a-kind thriller series that tells the story of a young girl stuck in a hostile environment and a freelancer’s attempt to rescue her.
May 04, 2024
May 04, 2024
May 04, 2024
May 04, 2024
May 03, 2024
May 04, 2024
