MUMBAI: Bollywood dude John Abraham has girls drooling over him, but the one woman he finds “really, really pretty” is his Baabul co-star Hema Malini’s beauty who he says is still the “the Dream Girl”.

“During Baabul if I had shot one more day with her I’d have fallen in love with her. She’s really, really pretty,” confesses John. “Hema Malini is either black or white. She always tells you like it is. That’s so rare in this industry where people often say one thing, and mean another.”

As for Amitabh Bachchan, John has piles of compliments to heap on his professionalism. “But forget about his work ethics. More importantly, he’s a nice man. When we meet he makes me feel so comfortable. He exudes a positive energy. I always felt safe in his shadow when I made my debut with him in Aetbaar. Nothing had changed in Baabul.”

But John’s best compliments are reserved for Rani Mukerji. “I learnt a lot from her. Rani exudes a lot of confidence. Needless to say she’s an amazing actress. Working with her and Mr Bachchan automatically raised the level of my performance. I need such support. People forget I’m still so new... only three years in the industry. I’m far behind the rest of my contemporaries.”

After Baabul, John has a totally antithetical release, Kabul Express. “I’m back at the lunatic fringes in Kabul.”

From the socially relevant Baabul to political parable Kabul Express, that’s a long journey to make! John chortles, “People think my choices are crazy. They wonder if I’ve lost my marbles risking my life in Baabul. Well, all I’ve to say is, I prefer riding bikes instead of cars.

I love life on the edge. I love taking risks. I’m very secure about my space in the cinema. I’ve made my choices and I’ve stuck by my directors through thick and thin.”