Film Pathaan’s director Siddharth Anand says John Abraham was his first choice for the role of Antagonist in the film. Sidhharth was very excited when John said yes to Pathaan. Talking about the casting of an Antagonist in the film, he added: “For Pathaan to be larger than life, we needed to have a towering villain who is equally larger than life. We wanted someone who is ruthless and suave and commands an electric presence on screen.” “So the villain in Pathaan was written keeping John Abraham in mind.” Anand further revealed: “He was our first and only choice, and we were certain that we wanted a villain that they would cherish forever. I’m delighted to see the response that people have showered on John as he takes on Shah Rukh Khan in a blood-soaked, adrenaline-pumping rivalry that will be epic in every sense possible.” Director Pathaan called Abraham a perfect antagonist in the film. “John is the perfect opposite of Pathaan on screen and we have made their rivalry look deliciously edge of the seat.