The 43-year-old actor, who was under rigorous training for the Nishikanth Kamat-directed film, said the action in it is lyrical.
"The film has the world-class action. It's not like any other action film. The stunts in it are lyrical as you need to maintain a certain posture when you are fighting with knives.
The chances of hurting yourself increase if you don't maintain a certain posture. I trained 14 hours a day for one month," John told reporters.
The 'Madras Cafe' star plays revenge seeker Kabir Ahlawat, who shares a warm bond with an eight-year-old girl.
Asked about his experiences of sharing screen space with Baby Diya Chalwad, John said, "The child was very special. She was always on time on sets. She was just seven-year-old but she was mature. She is a gymnast and after the shoot she used to show me gymnastics."
The film is releasing on Holi weekend and will also have a clash with Hollywood's much-touted movie 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'.
But John is unfazed by the box office battle. "You have to decide, what you want to see? You want top see a superhero or a real hero? Besides action, 'Rocky Handsome' has emotion and soul too. Being a producer, I will not market a bad film."
The film also has a special appearance by John's 'Welcome Back' co-star Shruti Haasan.
'Rocky Handsome' also marks the acting debut of its director, who plays the main antagonist.