John Abraham is playing one of the most physically demanding roles in Rohit Shetty’s upcoming film Maria IPS. The actor will play decorated police officer Rakesh Maria in a story that spans decades of the officer’s life.
The film will examine Maria’s journey from his younger years through his later career, so John will have to portray the character at very different ages.
Industry sources say the actor will be seen in Rakesh Maria’s life from his 20s to his 60s. John has had to change his physique, and so the role has been one of the toughest roles of his career.
John Abraham Changes His Physique For Different Age Groups
For the scenes portraying Rakesh Maria in his 20s and 30s, John allegedly increased his muscle mass and built a bulkier physique to match the character’s younger appearance.
For the parts set when Maria is in his late 50s and 60s, the actor is said to have taken a different approach. John lost weight to be leaner and fitter for the character's older years.
The transformation will give us all a chance to see the actor in several different physical avatars in the same film.
A source in the film industry described this as a transformation unlike anything John has ever done for a movie. So the actor’s commitment to altering his physique for different stages of the character’s life has become so fascinating.
Maria IPS Based On Decorated Police Officer Rakesh Maria
Following Singham Again in 2024, Rohit Shetty began developing the gritty action entertainer based on the life and career of celebrated police officer Rakesh Maria.
The film was then titled Maria IPS, and John Abraham went on to play the lead role.
Instead of focusing on a single period in Maria's career, the film shows a rather significant part of his life, and the film needs John to portray the character for decades.
That multi-age narrative also gives the actor a chance to show aspects of the police officer’s personality and career.
Shooting Began In 2025
The production of Maria IPS started in July 2025, with the first schedule reportedly taking place at Ellora Studios near Mumbai.
A police station set was constructed at the studio for the production. John and Rohit Shetty filmed several dramatic sequences inside the police station, including intense interrogation scenes during the two-week schedule.
The setting is believed to be instrumental in establishing the atmosphere of the film owing to the police and law enforcement theme.
Film also shot at Western Railway Locations
Parts of Maria IPS were also filmed at locations associated with Western Railway in Mumbai.
According to Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, filming of John Abraham took place at the Western Railway Headquarters in Churchgate and Lower Parel railway station and Mumbai Central railway station.
The actual railway locations could lend greater authenticity to the film’s portrayal of Mumbai and its law-enforcement context.
Rohit Shetty And John Abraham Join Forces
The project is yet another big action-oriented outing for Rohit Shetty, who has built a reputation for large-scale commercial entertainers and police dramas.
John Abraham, on the other hand, has often been in physically demanding action roles throughout his career. However, Maria IPS seems to require a different kind of preparation because the actor must portray the same character at multiple ages.
The combination of physical transformation and performance demands could make the film distinctive to the actor's and director’s filmographies.
A New Avatar For John Abraham
John's physical transformation will be one of the main talking points surrounding Maria IPS. Moving from a muscular appearance for the character's younger years to a leaner physique for the older parts is a demanding process.
It could also allow viewers to see how Rakesh Maria's personality, appearance and professional journey change over time (and in fact, the film’s multi-decade story).
With Rohit Shetty as director and John Abraham as the central character, Maria IPS is becoming a high-level police action drama. The combination of real-life inspiration, multiple timelines, a lot of action, and John’s physical transformation has already created some interest in the project.
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