Happy Birthday John Abraham: From 'Dhoom' to 'Parmanu', 5 must-watch movies of the Bollywood's handsome hunk

(Pic courtesy: Twitter)

The handsome hunk of Bollywood and the OG action hero, John Abraham is celebrating his 50^th birthday today! The actor who started off as a model and appeared in popular music videos in the late 90s like Pankaj Udhas's ‘Chupke Chupke' and Jazzy B's ‘Surma' to name a few, made a stunning Bollywood debut with Mahesh Bhatt's 2003 erotic thriller, ‘Jism'. With a mesmerizing cold look and chiselled body, the actor went on to star in edgy romantic dramas and crime thrillers such as ‘Saaya', ‘Paap' and ‘Lakeer' which helped him make his presence felt in the film industry.

In 2004, he made a thunderous appearance in ‘Dhoom' as antagonist, Kabir which happened to be a major turning point of John's acting career. The movie was a blockbuster hit and John's performance in ‘Dhoom' was highly appreciated by the audience and critics alike, and after the mega success of ‘Dhoom', there was no looking back for John.

A fitness freak and a sports bike enthusiast, John has established himself as a class-apart action hero. His humongous fan following is a testimony of his immense talent and versatility. The actor who will once again amaze the audience with his villainous avatar in Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming action thriller, ‘Pathaan', has an array of successful movies in his kitty. On the occasion of John Abraham's 50^th birthday, let's take a look at some of the gems delivered by the superstar.

Dhoom

The movie which cemented his place in Bollywood as action hero, ‘Dhoom' was undoubtedly John Abraham's first biggest blockbuster hit. Directed by Sanjay Gadhvi, the movie also starred Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, Esha Deol and Rimi Sen in pivotal roles. Although Abhishek played a positive role of a cop in the movie, it was John who stole all the limelight with his negative on-screen character called Kabir. Right from his action to his style, John's performance in the iconic movie was highly appreciated by the viewers.

Garam Masala

The actor who earned the title of romantic-action hero in early days of his acting career, broke his own cocoon and tried his hands at comedy in 2005 with ‘Garam Masala'. The Priyadarshan directorial which stars John Abraham and Akshay Kumar is a rib-tickling tale about two friends, Shyam (John) and Makarand (Akshay) who are struggling photographers and a big time flirts. Besides Akshay and John, the movie also features Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Neha Dhupia and Rajpal Yadav in pivotal roles. The movie was a commercial success back then. Indeed, ‘Garam Masala' is a must watch if you are a fan of the comic genre.

No Smoking

An Anurag Kashyap directorial, ‘No Smoking' is a thriller movie which stars John Abraham, Ayesha Takia, Paresh Rawal and Ranvir Shorey in key roles. For the unversed, the movie is based on Stephen King's short story, ‘Quitters, inc.'. John, who essayed the role of a self-obsessed, narcissist chain smoker in the movie, kicked up a storm with his phenomenal acting skills. Earlier the movie failed to make an impression on audiences because the subject was ahead of its time. But now, the movie is being looked upon as one of the cult classics by Anurag Kashyap. This movie definitely deserves a spot in your watch list if you love watching dark movies.

Also Read: John Abraham turns 50: A look at the line-up of the 'Dhoom' star

Madras Café

A masterpiece by Shoot Sircar, this political action thriller revolves around the Sri Lankan civil war of the late 80s and how India played a crucial role in the same. Starring John Abraham as the lead, the movie also features Nargis Fakhri, Rashi Khanna, Siddharth Basu, and Sudhanshu Vats. Besides the Sri Lankan civil war, the story also revolves around the assassination of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. John, who plays an officer from the Indian Army, is simply flawless in every frame. One of the best movies of John's career, this movie bagged a National Award for Best Audiography. This one is a highly recommended movie for all the John Abraham fans!

Parmanu

This John Abraham-starrer 2018 historical drama is based on nuclear bomb test explosions conducted by the Indian Army at Pokhran, Rajasthan in 1988. Helmed by Abhishek Sharma, the movie also features Boman Irani and Diana Penty. John who plays an IAS officer called Ashwat Raina has done a commendable job throughout the movie. While the movie performed averagely at the box office, the movie managed to scoop out positive reviews from the critics for its brilliant storytelling. High on patriotism, this movie fills you up with a sense of pride and honour for the country.