John Abraham is going all in for Maria IPS, transforming his body at opposite ends of the spectrum to play decorated former police officer Rakesh Maria across sharply different stages of life. For an actor whose action-star persona has long leaned on physical power, this film demands something far more layered, a character arc that moves from youthful intensity to an older, leaner authority figure.
That shift is now emerging as one of the defining hooks of Rohit Shetty’s ambitious real-life drama. Abraham has not only bulked up for the younger phases of Maria’s journey, but has also shed weight for the later years, giving the role a visual progression that is deeply tied to the storytelling.
John Abraham’S Transformation For Maria Ips
According to a source, “John Abraham will be seen in a never-before-seen avatar in the film. Maria IPS spans nearly 40 years in the life of Rakesh Maria, tracing his journey from his 20s to his 60s. For the portions featuring Maria in his 20s and 30s, John bulked up and put on muscle to look the part. For the scenes where the character is in his late 50s and 60s, the actor underwent another physical transformation, losing weight to sport a leaner and fitter look.”
The source further said, “John has never undergone this kind of physical transformation for a film before. Audiences will get to see him across different stages of Rakesh Maria’s life, and his transformation is sure to take them by surprise.”
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The production had begun rolling in July 2025 at Ellora Studios near Mumbai, where a police station set was specially erected for the opening schedule. Over that two-week stretch, Abraham and Shetty filmed dramatic station-room moments and high-intensity interrogation scenes, firmly setting the film’s gritty tone early in the shoot. Parts of Maria IPS were also filmed at key Western Railway locations in Mumbai, including the WR Headquarters in Churchgate, Lower Parel railway station and Mumbai Central railway station.
A Real-Life Story Backed By Rohit Shetty
Based on the life of Rakesh Maria, Maria IPS brings Rohit Shetty into a space that blends his flair for cop-driven storytelling with a figure drawn from modern Indian policing history. John Abraham fronts the film in the title role, and with production activity already underway, the project currently stands as one of the actor-director collaboration’s most closely watched developments.
John Abraham’s Recent And Upcoming Work
The timing of Maria IPS is especially notable in Abraham’s current career phase. After Vedaa in 2024, followed by The Diplomat in theatres in March 2025 and Tehran on ZEE5 in August 2025, the actor has continued to stay in the zone of tough, high-stakes parts. Maria IPS, however, appears to push that image into more character-driven territory, asking him not just to command action beats, but to physically and emotionally inhabit a man across decades.
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