Gentle and romantic, also red hot and smashing. You're not just hot, you're on fire," is how John Abraham was described in a chat show. And the description could not be more apt.

From a model who was advised by director Karan Johar to steer clear of films after winning the Gladrags Manhunt contest in 1999 to now being Bollywood's hottest sensation, John's phoenix-like rise is nothing short of a miracle.

And given that he has made it in an industry as close knit as Bollywood, the feat is even more commendable.

John's latest film Taxi No. 9211 comes at a time when even the best of stars are wary of featuring in solo-hero projects. The highly promoted film is riding solely on the able shoulders his 6.1 feet well-sculpted physique, as far as attracting crowds is concerned.

The Milan Luthria film itself benefits hugely from Nana Patekar who has, as always, delivered a remarkable performance. John and Nana are cast in diametrically opposite roles that seem to be custom-made. The music by Vishal-Shekhar, who worked his magic in Bluffmaster, is like the icing on the cake.

While commercial success came to "Parsi" (as Bipasha Basu likes to call him because of his Malayali-Parsi parentage) following Dhoom, and phrases like "sex symbol" and Bollywood's "man-of-the-moment" have stuck, critical acclaim has not lagged behind. His subtle performance in Deepa Mehta's Water won him a standing ovation at international film festivals.

The vast range of his repertoire is also impressive. Lucrative endorsements are swamping him with brands realising his broad-based appeal. John, who used to joke that he entered films "to get back ad campaigns I lost to film stars", is the brand ambassador of Diet Pepsi, FastTrack, Samsung, Wrangler and Yamaha.