Sneak Peak Into John Abraham's Wardrobe, Workout & Winning

 The actor-entrepreneur has reinvented himself and his game many times over. He talks to maxim  about style, fame and the importance of struggle.

- Vivek Pareek

John Abraham is not in the habit of mincing his words. All while being very polite. He kind of works in his own domain, balancing his profession with his interests, keeping to his—more or less— reclusive ways and yet managing to catch the attention of every moviegoer almost every time he makes a movie. When we first floated the idea of having him on the cover to Maxim’s predominantly female team, there were hoots, yelps and at least one, “Oh God, please!” Suffice it to say the decision was instant because we’re more than happy that the women of Maxim call the shots. Creative Director Sunanda Vaid had the enviable task of putting the team together, especially the models who’d accompany him in these gorgeous frames. There, too, John insisted that we ensure the models be comfortable with the idea behind the shoot—this is, after all, our first style special of the year.

Maxim has had only women on the cover over the last 10 years, except for one time—our style special last year. Yet, every time we’ve undertaken a soft survey about who we should have on the cover, John’s name surprisingly keeps popping up. Which leads one to believe his popularity isn’t just restricted to the women. “I think Maxim should take these surveys very seriously and have me on the cover every year,” he jokes, but we know there wouldn’t be too much dissent there... at least from Team Maxim.

Throughout the shoot, John was keen to include every member of the crew in the proceedings, taking time to sign stuff and pose for those damn selfies and also going through each shot and look in detail. He’s a stickler for detail, which is as apparent in his approach to fitness as his idea of work.