If you look back at 90s Bollywood action movies today, it is easy to laugh at the exaggerated sound effects (the infamous *dishoom*), the dramatic zooms, and the slightly cheesy dialogue. But if you look past the stylistic choices of the era, you will find something incredible: the actual physical stunt choreography in 90s Bollywood was often more dangerous, raw, and advanced than much of what we see in modern Indian cinema.
This was an era before green screens, CGI, and computer-assisted wirework. If a script called for an actor to jump between two moving cars or fight on top of a speeding train, they had to actually do it. Let's break down why the golden era of 90s Bollywood action was secretly ahead of its time.
1. The Rise of the True Martial Artist: Akshay Kumar
Before Akshay Kumar became known for comedy and patriotic dramas, he was the undisputed action king of the 90s with his Khiladi series. Unlike earlier Bollywood heroes who just threw wild punches, Akshay brought actual martial arts to the screen.
Having trained extensively in Muay Thai in Bangkok, Akshay introduced specialized kicks, grappling, and fluid combat movement to Hindi cinema. In movies like Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Sabse Bada Khiladi, his fight scenes feature continuous, long takes of hand-to-hand combat without quick cuts. This allowed the audience to see that he was actually performing the moves, a technique that Hollywood later popularized with the John Wick franchise.
2. Ajay Devgn's Gravity-Defying Splits
When Ajay Devgn made his debut in Phool Aur Kaante (1991), he delivered one of the most iconic entry scenes in cinematic history: standing perfectly balanced on two moving motorcycles. This wasn't a camera trick or a composite shot; Devgn actually performed the stunt, heavily coordinated by his father, the legendary action director Veeru Devgan.
Veeru Devgan revolutionized vehicle-based stunts in Bollywood. The car chases, crashes, and motorcycle jumps in 90s Bollywood were practical and incredibly perilous. They didn't have the luxury of painting out safety wires in post-production, meaning the timing of every explosion and crash had to be meticulously calculated in real life.
3. Suniel Shetty and the Raw Brawler Style
While Akshay brought finesse and Ajay brought vehicular mastery, Suniel Shetty brought raw, unadulterated power. In films like Mohra and Gopi Kishan, Shetty's action choreography was brutal and grounded. His fights focused less on acrobatics and more on heavy impacts, utilizing his immense physical size.
This "brawler" style of choreography-where the hero takes hits, bleeds, and uses the environment (chairs, glass, walls) as weapons-was incredibly ahead of its time. It grounded the action in a gritty reality that contrasted sharply with the flying kicks of other actors, creating a diverse spectrum of action styles within the industry.
4. The Danger of Practical Fire and Glass
Today, if a hero walks through a burning building, the fire is almost entirely generated on a computer to ensure actor safety. In the 90s, if the script said a warehouse was on fire, they literally set a warehouse on fire.
Action directors like Sham Kaushal and Tinu Verma orchestrated massive, practical explosions using real gasoline and explosives. Actors and stuntmen were frequently subjected to intense heat and real shattered sugar-glass. The frantic energy you see in the actors' eyes during a 90s burning building sequence isn't always acting-it is genuine adrenaline and a desire not to get burned.
Conclusion
The 90s era of Bollywood action was a wild west of practical filmmaking. The actors and stunt teams put their bodies on the line to entertain the masses. While modern films undoubtedly look sleeker and are infinitely safer to produce, they often lack the visceral, gritty reality of a 90s stunt done entirely in-camera. So next time you watch a vintage action movie, pay close attention to the stunts-you are watching true cinematic bravery.