Bollywood actor John Abraham is marking 15 years of his action film ‘Force’ by paying tribute to its late director, Nishikant Kamat, and recalling how the filmmaker pushed him to deliver his best performance.
On Wednesday, John took to Instagram to share a throwback photograph with Kamat, along with a heartfelt note reflecting on the making of the film and the director’s contribution.
“15 years of FORCE. We set out to make an action film where the emotion hit as hard as the action. Force wouldn’t have happened without Nishi. He pushed me, believed in me and gave the film its heart,” John wrote.
He also expressed his wish that Kamat could have witnessed the film’s journey and the milestones that followed.
“I only wish he was here to see where this journey has reached. Miss you Nishi. Hope we make you proud,” he added.
‘Force’ also starred Genelia D’Souza and marked the Hindi film debut of Vidyut Jammwal. The film blended police action with a romantic storyline, with John’s physically imposing screen presence emerging as one of its defining features. Vidyut also made a strong impression as the antagonist, Vishnu.
The film was a Hindi remake of the 2003 Tamil action film ‘Kaakha Kaakha’, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon.
Nishikant Kamat was known for his grounded, socially rooted storytelling across Marathi, Hindi and Tamil cinema. He made his directorial debut with the Marathi film ‘Dombivali Fast’, a critically acclaimed drama about an ordinary middle-class man pushed to the edge by corruption and social frustration. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Marathi.
Kamat subsequently directed several Hindi films, including ‘Mumbai Meri Jaan’, ‘Force’, ‘Drishyam’ and ‘Madaari’. ‘Drishyam’, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, was among his most commercially successful films and was adapted from the 2013 Malayalam film of the same name.
He also directed ‘Lai Bhaari’, which became a notable commercial success in Marathi cinema. As an actor, Kamat appeared in films such as ‘Lai Bhaari’, ‘Rocky Handsome’ and ‘Bhavani Bhavai’.
Kamat passed away in August 2020 at the age of 50.