Meet James

The film-maker broke tradition for Ahlawat. Usually not the sort to let an artiste take the upper hand, Varma signed the youngster the moment he saw him. 8216;8216;I told him that even though I didn8217;t have a role for him, I would create one. I didn8217;t want him to go anywhere else,8217;8217; says Varma.

Wise move, since Ahlawat is a certified knockout on-screen. He8217;s got the intensity of Ajay Devgan, the young Bachchan8217;s brooding appeal, Salman Khan8217;s swagger, and the build of Akshay Kumar. It8217;s a package that demands a second look.

And if not for all that, then at least for his elevated frame. For an actor who says he8217;s never measured his height, Ahlawat will easily tower over the competition. 8216;8216;Maybe I am 68217;38217;8217;. Anyway, it8217;s too trivial an issue.8217;8217;

The strapping debutante plays a nightclub bouncer in James8212;his character never smiles. And perhaps that explains his sullen look today. Outfitted in white linen, Ahlawat scowls at everything inside Mumbai8217;s suburban five-star JW Marriott.

His intensity8217;s an occupational hazard. 8216;8216;The two and a half years that I8217;ve been working on James, I have only stared at people. I8217;ve almost forgotten how to smile,8217;8217; says the 27-year-old.

For someone who8217;s just getting ready for his first premier, Ahlawat already has the sound bites of a veteran: 8216;8216;I8217;m always in character.8217;8217; Seven years ago he was a different man, a drifter without a flight plan and a serious weight problem.

8216;8216;I8217;ve struggled a lot with myself,8217;8217; he says. He was 115 kg, until Salman Khan happened. 8216;8216;I went to Khan8217;s former girlfriend Somy Ali8217;s birthday party and marvelled at how fit Salman was. I vowed that I would be like him,8217;8217; says Ahlawat.

Within six months, his weight was down to 77 kg. Now, the scales hover around 85. Two months ago, he turned vegetarian. A black belt in karate, his daily routine includes a two-hour workout with his personal trainer. These days he8217;s focused on beefing up his legs. 8216;8216;I recently met Salman and he said that my legs look weak.8217;8217;

But for all the talk of screen presence, it8217;s the audience that8217;ll finally decide Ahlawat8217;s fate. Going by the red tika on his forehead, he isn8217;t taking any chances. 8216;8216;I do puja twice a day, after taking a shower and before going to bed.8217;8217;

He also wears diamond, neelam and panna rings on his right hand.8216;8216;I don8217;t really know what these stones are for. I wear them because my mom asked me to,8217;8217; he shrugs. Ahlawat8217;s left wrist hosts a black Kali Mata thread and an evil eye bracelet.

Though he8217;s still a relative stranger in Tinseltown, Ahlawat8217;s got the hang of the Bollywood formula for keeping his head above water: Name dropping. The T-Series uncle-nephew jodi, Kishen and Bhushan Kumar, are family friends. 8216;8216;Kishen advises me a lot and is in constant touch,8217;8217; he says.

And where even megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan carry just one cellphone, Ahlawat8217;s got two on him. 8216;8216;I don8217;t want to mix my personal and professional life. I don8217;t want any complications later on,8217;8217; he says. Personal life right now is fiancee Sai, his companion at Bollywood parties.

Ahlawat8217;s gestures and body language, including the pierced left brow, give the impression of a man prowling for attention. 8216;8216;I believe in myself,8217;8217; is his explanation.

That said, if he8217;s smart he8217;ll recognise the thin line between self-belief and arrogance. The Bollywood grapevine8217;s already abuzz with the story of how he turned down Subhash Ghai through an SMS. There8217;s also trade tattle about a fight with Fardeen Khan over a film.

Mention that and the scowl8217;s back: 8216;8216;I was shooting for James when Mr Ghai called me. I just couldn8217;t take his call. Anyway, James is my only priority, so I messaged him that I am not interested,8217;8217; he says. And FK Jr? 8216;8216;I heard that he was bitching about me. But I don8217;t care.8217;8217;

The man who makes declarations like 8216;8216;I will do what I want to do because my brain works like a Jat8217;8217; would do well to remember mentor Varma8217;s advice: If you want to be an actor, you8217;ve got to be flexible.