Happy Birthday John Abraham: Movies where the actor simply flexed his muscles and left us in awe

Former supermodel turned actor, John Abraham has had a steady innings in Bollywood. Initially struggling to fit into a mould, the Christian-Parsi, Bombay boy soon found his calling in action and quickly became one of the most bankable actors in that genre. As the actor, soon to be seen as the rakish antagonist in Pathaan, turns 50 today, here's looking at his best action movies along the years...

One of the most slick and stylish movies of the 2000s, the flick is still remembered as John's best work, where he played the charming anti-hero Kabir, who has a unique knack for conducting high-profile thefts. The movie, that co-starred Abhishek Bachchan and Uday Chopra returned for two sequels, with Hrithik Roshan and Aamir Khan reprising John's role, but the audience still pined for Kabir.

Based on the Batla House encounter case, the movie sees John essay the role of the titular protagonist Sanjeev Kumar Yadav as he toils day and night to nab the terrorists responsible for the attack, while simultaneously dealing with government pressure and PTSD, after losing his close colleague and friend in the encounter.

DCP Shivansh, played by John Abraham is entrusted with the responsibility of nabbing a criminal responsible for the death of many corrupt cops. Shivansh gives his everything to the job, without realising that the murderer is actually his younger brother.

Inspired by the life of RAW agent Ravindra Kaushik, the movie is set prior to the India-Pakistan war of 1971, where John plays an Indian banker, who is recruited to spy for the Indian government in Pakistan. He undergoes many identity changes once there, but trouble soon ensues when his cover is blown off.

John plays ACP Yashvardhan of the Narcotics Control Bureau who catches and later kills drug dealer, Vasu. However, the slain criminal's brother Vishnu, a gangster himself, soon surfaces to seek revenge, as the ACP struggles to keep him and his wife Maya, safe.

Kabir Ahlawat, played by John is a former RAW agent and Special Force soldier, who lives a quiet, unassuming life in Goa, as a pawn shop owner. He befriends and forms a special bond with his neighbour's daughter, an eight-year-old girl called Naomi. When Naomi gets suddenly abducted, Kabir pulls all stops to get her back.

Manya (John Abraham), a brilliant and bright student, gets pulled into the murky world of crime after his brother Bhargava is killed. Initially resentful, Manya soon accepts his reality and soon becomes a huge warlord, in a bid to avenge Bhargava's death.

Though not a usual run-of-the-mill action flick, the movie finds mention on our list due to John's brilliant, yet understated performance as IAS officer Ashwat who is entrusted to develop and test nuclear weapons for the country, all while keeping his personal safety at stake, in a bid to hide the mission from American Intelligence Agencies.