Mehboob Studios, Mumbai

Ready on the dot at 9.30 am for the MW shoot, Imran Khan is checking his reflection in the mirror. Brows raised in concentration he appraises his look for the first shot du jour.

The stylist has picked a layered T-shirt to go with a pair of white slim fit jeans and worn with a pair of black-and-white ankle-length sneakers. "Let's rock ‘n' roll!" says Khan when he's finally satisfied with the look after a fair bit of tweaking.

His involvement with his look is evident as the shoot progresses through the day. "Why don't we fold the sleeves in the next shot? I think it will look better that way, " he quips, trying to find a solution to an errant cuff like a consummate sartorialist.

About six hours later we are in the living room of Khan's two-storied Pali Hill bungalow. A large black-and-white poster of a brooding James Dean takes up most of the space on a wall. Sitting almost directly below it, Khan could very well be Dean's doppelganger with his relaxed, unfussy attitude coupled with an intense stare that belies his 26 years.

But yet there is something intrinsically youthful about the entire package that is Imran Khan. Dressed in a casual green T-shirt and fitted True Religion jeans teamed with flip-flops, Khan exudes a stylishly preppy persona all hidden in the garb of someone who really dosen't conform to any fashion diktats.

"Don't try too hard. That's the number one style mantra I live by, " says Khan, a tad distracted by his two dogs Kajri and Tom Jones who vie for his attention. "I always cared about my appearance, but was never a slave to fashion. I still take particular care to maintain my personal style without changing it to fit in.

Style for me is the ability to look good without looking like you're making a big effort. I look for things that connect with me personally. Be it a tie, a pair of shoes, whatever; it should be a reflection of my personality. " And it is that fiercely independent approach to style that makes Khan abhor designers.

"I don't like designers as a rule, so I stay far away from haute couture, " laughs Khan who admits that he maintains a very "hands-on" approach with his look for his films — be it as Jai, the guy-next-door in his debut vehicle Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na or as the shirtless, buffed antagonist Kabir in his sophomore Bollywood outing Kidnap.

"I work closely with the stylist and the director to make sure each character I play is distinctly different from the others, and that whatever he wears mirrors his personality to the T, " says Khan as he gets down to deconstructing his style quotient...

My style influences
James Dean, Marlon Brando, Johnny Depp, Bruce Springsteen, essentially people who are comfortable in their own skin. Closer home, I think John Abraham manages to look amazing in jeans and an old T-shirt.

Brands I like
Diesel, Guess and True Religion. True Religion jeans fit me really well. Diesel makes very cool and comfortable T-shirts for everyday wear. Guess manages to strike a good balance between casual and dressy, so it's good for most occasions.

I'm big on accessories
I collect ties and Converse All-Stars shoes as they're both a lot of fun. You can add one or the other or both to jeans and a T-shirt, and it suddenly becomes an amazing style statement!

My shopping trysts
Abroad, I like to shop in LA. There's always a lot of interesting stuff there that you can't find anywhere else. In India, I tend to shop in the small shops in the gullies of Bandra.

I love my wheels
I currently have three cars. Yes, yes I know that's excessive. I have a Honda Civic, which I love dearly. It's such a great car to drive.

I have a BMW 325i, which was a gift from Aamir Khan (his uncle, the actor-producer) after the success of Jaane Tu... The kind of power and handling you get for 30-odd lakh is unbelievable.

My newest acquisition is a Porsche Cayenne S. It has just arrived, so I haven't had the time to fall in love with it yet.

Gadgets are so my thing
I'm serious about my gadgets. I'm also an Apple loyalist. I have a MacBook Pro 15", a G5 desktop with a 23" cinema display, an iPhone...And yes, I did put one of those little Apple stickers on my car.

As for gaming, I like the Xbox. No Play Station for me. I feel that it just doesn't match up, performance-wise.