Meet James

For the maverick director, all it took was one look. ‘‘Nobody has had an impact on me like Mohit. His is the kind of screen persona you just can’t take your eyes off,’’ says Varma.

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. ‘‘I told him that even though I didn’t have a role for him, I would create one. I didn’t want him to go anywhere else,’’ says Varma.

Wise move, since Ahlawat is a certified knockout on-screen. He’s got the intensity of Ajay Devgan, the young Bachchan’s brooding appeal, Salman Khan’s swagger, and the build of Akshay Kumar. It’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 he’s never measured his height, Ahlawat will easily tower over the competition. ‘‘Maybe I am 6’3’’. Anyway, it’s too trivial an issue.’’

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

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

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

‘‘I’ve struggled a lot with myself,’’ he says. He was 115 kg, until Salman Khan happened. ‘‘I went to (Khan’s former girlfriend) Somy Ali’s birthday party and marvelled at how fit Salman was. I vowed that I would be like him,’’ 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 he’s focused on beefing up his legs. ‘‘I recently met Salman and he said that my legs look weak.’’

But for all the talk of screen presence, it’s the audience that’ll finally decide Ahlawat’s fate. Going by the red tika on his forehead, he isn’t taking any chances. ‘‘I do puja twice a day, after taking a shower and before going to bed.’’

He also wears diamond, neelam and panna rings on his right hand.‘‘I don’t really know what these stones are for. I wear them because my mom asked me to,’’ he shrugs. Ahlawat’s left wrist hosts a black Kali Mata thread and an evil eye bracelet.

Though he’s still a relative stranger in Tinseltown, Ahlawat’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. ‘‘Kishen advises me a lot and is in constant touch,’’ he says.

And where even megastars like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan carry just one cellphone, Ahlawat’s got two on him. ‘‘I don’t want to mix my personal and professional life. I don’t want any complications later on,’’ he says. Personal life right now is fiancee Sai, his companion at Bollywood parties.

Ahlawat’s gestures and body language, including the pierced left brow, give the impression of a man prowling for attention. ‘‘I believe in myself,’’ is his explanation.

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

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

The man who makes declarations like ‘‘I will do what I want to do because my brain works like a Jat’’ would do well to remember mentor Varma’s advice: If you want to be an actor, you’ve got to be flexible.