Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar: Why action films are Bollywood’s favourite comeback formula

Action: Bollywood’s most trusted CPR

Singh’s Dhurandhar look evokes a cocktail of violent charisma, there’s the ruthless intensity of Animal, the slick flair of Pathaan, and the chest-thumping swagger of Wanted. All three are significant reference points because they didn’t just become hits, they revived their respective stars’ careers.

Before Wanted (2009), Salman Khan was in a downward spiral, delivering one box-office disappointment after another — Yuvvraaj, Marigold, God Tussi Great Ho. With Wanted, Khan tapped into massy action, and the audience responded with thunderous applause. What followed was a golden run (Dabangg, Ready, Bodyguard, Ek Tha Tiger), turning him into the ultimate mass-action icon of the 2010s.

The same script worked for Shah Rukh Khan. After a four-year break following the commercial and critical failure of Zero (2018), the “King of Romance” looked away from his forte and returned to the big screens with the action-heavy Pathaan and then Jawaan. Both films broke box office records, and more importantly, reinvented SRK’s image for a new generation. When even the most iconic romantic hero of our times turns to action when in need of revival, you know it’s a genre Bollywood trusts.

Ranbir Kapoor’s career was either never in crisis or has forever been in one, but it took Animal, a violent, emotionally complex action film, to give him the biggest hit of his life. And it’s not just the current generation of stars.

Amitabh Bachchan, after his post-Mard sabbatical and a near-fatal injury, returned with Shahenshah – a vigilante actioner that helped re-establish his dominance and birthed one of his most memorable on-screen personas. Sunny Deol staged a historic comeback with Gadar 2.

Action speaks louder than words

According to a 2025 Statista survey, which included over 4,600 respondents across India, “action & Adventure” ranks among the top two most preferred genres for films and shows among Indian consumers (comedy being the second).

The success of this formula isn’t accidental. Action movies resonate deeply with the Indian audience , emotionally, culturally, and cinematically.

For one, they require no translation. Unlike say comedy, whether it’s Mumbai or Madurai, a punch lands the same. The language of action — revenge, justice, power — transcends geography and class. It doesn’t need subtitles or subtlety. It just needs impact.

Then there’s escapism. In a country where daily life can often feel like a series of hurdles to survive — bureaucracy, inequality, powerlessness — there’s deep catharsis in watching a larger-than-life hero break the rules, beat the odds, and bring order with his own fists. It’s not just entertainment, it’s release.

Unlike Western action, which often sidelines emotion for sleekness, Indian action films are steeped in melodrama. The violence is rarely just for spectacle, it’s almost always tethered to personal loss, family, honour, or love. Animal, for instance, is as much about generational trauma and father-son conflict as it is about blood and bullets. This marriage of drama and action — the quintessential “masala” blend — is what makes the genre so powerful here.

Also, action films are theatrical events. The slow-motion walk, the thunderous background score, the punchlines before the punches, they’re built for the big screen and meant to be consumed in cheering crowds. They have repeat value. People don’t just watch them once; they go back to relive the high.

And then there are the “mass moments,” those perfectly packaged scenes that go viral and live forever. Salman’s “Ek baar jo maine commitment…” from Wanted, Shah Rukh’s “Bete ko haath lagane se pehle…” in Jawaan, Shahid’s “Silent ho jaa warna violent ho jaaunga” in R… Rajkumar — these aren’t just lines, they’re pop culture landmarks.

Hero Worshipping

But more than the action itself, what fuels this genre in India is the culture of hero worship. Indian cinema doesn’t just build stars, it deifies them. Audiences don’t go to see a character; they go to see a persona. The expectation is simple: the hero must be magnetic, invincible, and always in control. Action, more than any other genre, reinforces this myth-making.

Which is why films that stray from that expectation often suffer. Salman Khan’s Tubelight (2017) is a prime example. Salman played a differently abled man, a far cry from his usual “Bhai” persona. He cried, stumbled, and depended on others. While the performance was earnest and the message heartfelt, audiences simply didn’t want to see their action demigod helpless. The result: a box-office failure, not because of its craft, but because it betrayed the belief system that surrounds Salman’s stardom.

The reverse also holds true: even average action films can succeed if they preserve the hero’s image.

It’s also worth noting that this genre isn’t exclusive to men. Female actors have also turned to action to reignite their careers. Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani (2014) and its 2019 sequel positioned her as a fierce cop fighting crime, very different from her earlier romantic leads, and both films performed respectably at the box office.

Which brings us back to Dhurandhar. With Aditya Dhar — whose Uri earned Rs 245 crore (domestic) and brought back the action patriotism wave — at the helm, and with a cast that includes Sanjay Dutt, R Madhavan, Akshaye Khanna, and Arjun Rampal, the film is already loaded. But it’s Singh, bruised and burning, who’s at the centre.
Because in Bollywood, when all else fails, there’s always one genre that can resuscitate a career with a single punch.