Dhurandhar to Chhaava: How 90s stars are winning Bollywood's second innings

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Bollywood stars of the 1990s may no longer be playing the hero, but they are still stealing the spotlight. The return of actors such as Akshaye Khanna and Bobby Deol, now cast as main antagonists in recent blockbusters, signals a shift in audience tastes and opens up space for older actors in pivotal, if no longer leading, roles.

Trade experts say their steady presence on OTT platforms has helped familiarise younger viewers with their work, many of whom are now discovering their earlier films, paving the way for renewed big-screen appearances. “It is certainly a good idea to use these actors, who may not work as heroes anymore, as strong antagonists to add weight and heft to the films. There are several good but underutilized faces, and it is turning out to be a golden time period for them," Rahul Puri, managing director of Mukta Arts and Mukta A2 Cinemas said.

The positioning of yesteryear stars opposite younger leads in action entertainers helps create enough conflict and drama for audiences, since viewers are likely to take actors of their stature seriously, experts like Puri said. In big-budget films, their remuneration goes up to ₹30 crore, along with adequate screen time, good dialogues and high production quality. Dhurandhar and Chhaava, both featuring Khanna, made ₹863 crore and ₹600.10 crore in domestic box office collection, respectively.

Animal, starring Deol, had crossed the ₹550 crore mark in 2023. Another actor of the era, Sanjay Dutt, was seen in KGF-Chapter 2 whose dubbed Hindi version alone had grossed over ₹430 crore. It would not have been wise for established names like these to continue seeking run-of-the-mill love stories, said Ashutosh Agarwal, owner of Star