By Subhash K Jha

In case you're wondering why John has been so low-profile lately, it's only work.

Salman, go eat your heart out. While the senior actor has been dying to 'be' a rock star on screen, it's John who has beaten him to it.

John is going to play a musician in Imtiaz Ali's Rock Star. And when we see him take to the stage as a long-haired rock musician John won't be faking it.

He's actually learning to play the guitar for the role.

Says John, "Yes I'm going to get those strings right. No point in strumming senselessly. Nowadays the audience has got very wise. They can tell when an actor is faking it. In fact I learnt to play the flute for my role in Water.

At this rate I could become a one-man band. But I didn't have to learn to play ride the bike for Dhoom. Seriously, role ke bahaane it's good fun to expand your horizons.

I don't want to be an actor just to look good and wear trendy clothes on screen. I want to go deeper into my characters. It's great fun to prepare for a role. "

Adds Deepa Mehta, "John shocked me with his preparedness. Whether it was getting into a dhoti or playing the flute or getting the body language of his character right John put his soul into Water. We've become really close friends. I'm looking forward to working with him again in Exclusion. "

John smiles at Deepa's compliments. "By the grace of God, I've plenty of prolific work on my plate. I love the family of directors I'm working with: Deepa, Sriram Raghavan, Nagesh Kukunoor ( Ashayen), Imtiaz Ali (Rock Star), Anurag Kashyap. ...

If you listen to the scripts you would wonder why I'm doing such unusual films when I could be doing hardcore commercial cinema. It's because I want to grow as an actor. "

Incidentally Saif is the other actor in Bollywood who plays the guitar. Maybe the two actors can jam together?

"Why not?" laughs John.