In 2005 , he starred with Arjun Rampal in the crime thriller '' Elaan '' , which failed at the box office . He followed with the supernatural thriller '' Kaal '' and the comedy '' Garam Masala '' both of which did well at the box office . Later that year , he had a role in '' Water '' , which portrayed the tragic fate of Hindu widows in British India of the 1930s . The film was written and directed by independent Canadian film-maker Deepa Mehta . It was popular internationally , and was nominated for the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 79th Academy Awards . Abraham attended the ceremony along with the film 's crew and makers but the film lost to Germany 's The Lives of Others
79th Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
John Abraham