I learnt Hindi to interact with Great Khali: John Cena

The multi-talented actor and WWE star, John Cena, plays the titular role in Ferdinand, a delightful animated film which is scheduled to release in India on December 15. Set in Spain, the film is about a bull with a heart of gold, who prefers flowers to fighting. John Cena, who has given his voice to the lead character in the film, talks about the movie and much more! Read on…

Being a WWE champion, you have a huge fan base in India. How do you feel about it?

I cannot tell you how fortunate I am to have so many Indian fans. Every day, I visit my social media accounts, and I see so many fans from India wanting to talk to me. I feel so bad that I had to cancel my trip to India two years back because of an injury. I can’t wait to visit India and meet my fans out there. They are lovey and wonderful.

What do you think of Indian WWE wrestler Great Khali?

Oh, he is one of my favourites! In fact, I learnt to speak in Hindi to interact with him. I don’t remember much of it because it used to be part of a script. The only little part that I remember and still use it with Indians are two words: ‘Samajh gaya?’ I think it means ‘Did you understand?’ So, I might not know much, but when I say ‘samajh gaya?’, and I get a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ in response, I know I’m understanding them, and they can follow me.

How excited were you about playing Ferdinand?

Oh my goodness, this was an amazing opportunity to play a character who is physically imposing, but who inside is just endearing and friendly. It might as well be the story of my own life (laughs)! Ferdinand is a bull who grows up on a ranch and decides early on that he’s not like the other bulls. They say, ‘man, this is what bulls do, we fight,’ and he’s like, ‘well fighting is cool for you guys, it’s just not for me.’”

What do you think of Ferdinand’s look?

I think Ferdinand’s great. He is this massive, hulking bull with horns and a huge neck, so when you see him, you go: ‘Whoa!’ But he has a gentle face. You can see his real personality in his eyes.

Tell us about the animation in the film?

You feel like you’re actually there in Spain with the characters. The world they’ve created is whimsical and magical, but it’s super realistic too. You can see that, for example, in Lupe’s fur and in the flowers, the landscape, the Spanish architecture, the feel of the bullring, everything. The animators did a good job.