Summary

• Indian action movies offer high-octane thrills and charismatic stars like John Abraham in Rocky Handsome.
• Kill blends intense action with gripping drama as a commando takes on knife-wielding thugs on a train.
• RRR is a global hit that impressed Hollywood directors and even won an Academy Award for Best Song.

Plenty of action movie lovers have unknowingly limited themselves to simply watching Hollywood or English-language productions, but this failed to recognize the litany of incredible Indian action movies just waiting to be discovered. With plenty of high-octane action and charismatic movie stars, Indian cinema has been responsible for some of the best action movies in recent years. While there’s a lot of cultural disparity between different regions of India, there have been countless Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and other language Indian movies that would truly blow away action fans with their incredible spectacle.

While the best Bollywood movies can sometimes feel alienating to viewers not familiar with their signature styles, extended runtimes, and enjoyable musicality, those who dismiss these films have denied themselves a world of incredible action movies. Drawing on comedy, thrillers, and even war genres, Indian action films have continually delivered over-the-top action sequences and excessive violence that lovers of major Hollywood action franchises would definitely enjoy. For those unfamiliar with Indian cinema, these action movies would be a great jumping-off point for discovering an untapped world of cinematic marvels.

10 Rocky Handsome (2016)

Directed by Nishikant Kamat

Those with a passion for action-thrillers like the Taken series should be sure to check out the incredible Hindi-language neo-noir Rocky Handsome. With Indian action hero John Abraham in the starring role, Rocky Handsome tells the story of a reclusive pawn shop owner seeking revenge against the vicious gangsters who kidnapped his drug-addicted neighbor’s daughter. With a touching story and intense action sequences, viewers will be blown away by how well the director, Nishikant Kamat, has blended touching drama with mind-blowing spectacle.

Rocky Handsome was an insanely underrated release packed with thrilling fight sequences and everything an action fan could ask for. An adaptation of the Korean movie The Man from Nowhere, Rocky Handsome took an already established story and turned the intensity up to eleven. While some critics dismissed Rocky Handsome for being too derivative of other action movies, those looking for non-stop action and an engaging cinematic experience look no further.

9 Kill (2023)

Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat

From Die Hard to The Raid, cinema has long exploited the intense potential of action movies set in one location, and the Hindi-language action-thriller Kill was no different. Written and directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, Kill starred Lakshya as army commandant Amrit facing off against a gang of bandits on a New Delhi-bound train trip. With high emotional stakes, it was revealed Amrit’s girlfriend was engaged in an arranged marriage against her will, and Kill served up one ultra-violent sequence after another.

At its core, Kill was a bare-bones action movie that wasted no time getting directly into its over-the-top train invasions. As Amrit ruthlessly took down his foes, at its most intense, Kill boarded on horror, as the brutal and bloody nature of his enemy’s demises may even be too much for some viewers to take. The fight sequences in Kill were incredibly well choreographed, and any lover of non-stop, high-stakes action movies should do themselves a favor and experience it.

8 Captain Miller (2024)

Directed by Arun Matheswaran

Western audiences would be less familiar with Indian military history and the resistance against British colonialism, but this has been a major topic within Indian cinema. Captain Miller was an incredible war movie about a lesser-known conflict that followed a former British Army soldier trying to defend his home village from destruction by the people he once called allies. With Tamil legend Dhanush at the helm, Captain Miller was an epic action adventure set in the 1930s during the British Raj.

Captain Miller was a period drama that used its historical setting to address issues still keenly relevant in modern India. Although its storyline had nuanced socio-political undertones, its action was so well constructed and its narrative built to its grand conclusion in such a satisfying manner that this became a must-watch movie for action lovers worldwide. Captain Miller was a highly engaging action movie from director Arun Matheswaran, whose sharp visual style has only improved since his previous two films, Rocky and Saani Kaayidham.

7 KGF: Chapter 1 (2018)

Directed by Prashanth Neel

The Kannada-language Indian action star Yash Gowda slowly built up a name for himself as a leading action star before gaining major recognition for his leading role in KGF: Chapter 1. This intense period action film from writer and director Prashanth Neel followed Yash as Rocky, a high-ranking mercenary going undercover as a slave in a gold mine to assassinate Garuda, the son of the founder of Kolar Gold Fields. With incredible grandeur, a gripping story, and non-stop intensity, KGF: Chapter 1 was a must-see action movie, even for those unfamiliar with Indian films.

Yash did an excellent job as Rocky in KGF: Chapter 1, as its high-octane action sequences expertly laid the groundwork for an even more extraordinary showdown in Chapter 2, which was released in 2022. A major success at the time of its release, KGF: Chapter 1 became the highest-grossing Kannada-language film of all time, a feat that was only surpassed by its sequel (via India Today.) KGF has solidified Yash’s status as a major star in India, and its success has shone a light on other underrated Kannadiga movies.

6 Thallumaala (2022)

Directed by Khalid Rahman

It’s not always easy to seamlessly blend action and humor, as one genre typically comes out on top while the other can feel like it does the film a disservice. One of the rare movies that walked this fine line perfectly was the action-comedy Thallumaala, which followed a young gangster drawn into a tumultuous love affair with a famous vlogger. From here, a series of cataclysmic events put their blossoming relationship in jeopardy.

Thallumaala was a unique action-comedy that told its story in nine chapters, which were presented out of chronological order. With a strong narrative structure that showcased the shifting perspective of its protagonist, Thallumaala was an experimental film full of intense action sequences and plenty of over-the-top graphic violence. With lots of fighting and several of Indian cinema’s signature song sequences, Thallumaala was a fascinating film that’s sure to please lovers of great action comedies.

5 Khakee (2004)

Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi

Since making his directional debut in 1990, Rajkumar Santoshi has been at the forefront of Hindi-language action films. Khakee from 2004 was one of Santoshi’s greatest works, as it powerfully told the story of police forces escorting alleged terrorists from Chandangarh to Mumbai. However, along the way, things turn awry, and this mission soon turned into a life-and-death perilous survival story as an ex-cop does everything in his power to stop them from reaching their destination.

Khakee received widespread acclaim when it was released for its incredible script, performances, and execution. As a highly engrossing and clever film with impressive production values, Khakee has not lost any of its innate powers in the two decades since it was first released. With non-stop action, plenty of twists and turns, and ultra-violent encounters between cops and terrorists, Khakee will be a treat for any and all action movie lovers.

4 Vikram (2022)

Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj

While comic book fans have been enjoying the Marvel Cinematic Universe for some time, lovers of Indian action movies have been blessed with their own ever-expanding franchise as Vikram stood as the second installment in the Lokesh Cinematic Universe. Following the success of Kaithi from director Lokesh Kanagaraj, Vikram continued the LCU as the black ops agent Arun Kumar Vikram (Kamal Haasan) investigated a series of serial killings. This led Vikram down a path of action-packed conspiracy and a war in which practically every character played a part.

This Tamil-language action thriller was a direct sequel to the 1986 action movie Vikram and continued Kanagaraj’s streak of producing unmissable macho blockbusters. With a narrative that could branch out into several different films, Vikram expertly laid the groundwork for further LCU movies, as it was well aware of its position in a potentially huge franchise. Haasan even reprised his role as Vikram in Leo, the third installment in the LCU, which further entrenched this universe’s interconnected nature.

3 Andhadhun (2018)

Directed by Sriram Raghavan

The Hindi-language crime thriller Andhadhun tells the story of a blind piano player unwittingly embroiled in a murder conspiracy. However, Akash Sarraf (Ayushmann Khurrana) has a secret, and that’s that he isn’t actually blind and has been merely faking his disability as an experiment to improve his piano skills. While this lie would be enough to get Akash in hot water already, the action really comes into play when he witnesses a murder that everyone believes he should not have been able to see.

This highly creative action movie was a breath of fresh air amid so many similar Indian action films that repeat the same tired beats of lackluster romances, by-the-numbers action sequences, and songs that bloat the movie’s runtimes. Andhadhun was a unique action film that blended its comedic concept with high-stakes energy as Akash fell ever deeper into a conspiracy that he knew far too much about. Andhadhun was one of the most suspenseful and engaging Bollywood films in recent years.

2 A Wednesday! (2008)

Directed by Neeraj Pandey

A Wednesday! was among the greatest Indian action movies ever made that brought to mind the incredible action-packed energy of Hollywood movies like Die Hard. Set on one lone Wednesday afternoon, A Wednesday! told the story of a police commissioner and an anonymous caller who threatened to detonate bombs all over the city of Mumbai. This would-be terrorist stated that if four other terrorists were not let out of police custody, he would set off the explosives and potentially kill countless people.

A Wednesday! was exactly the kind of high-stakes action film that kept viewers on the edge of their seats, and it was no surprise that it became a massive success in India. With plenty of twists and turns and at just 99 minutes in length, A Wednesday! didn’t overstay its welcome as its intriguing plotline was unraveled through each spectacular scene. A Wednesday! was a must-watch for any and all action lovers and would be a good entry point for those unfamiliar with Indian cinema.

1 RRR (2022)

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli

It’s not always easy for an Indian movie to gain widespread recognition from Western audiences, but one prime example of this was the mega success of RRR. This Telugu-language period action movie became one of the highest-grossing Indian movies of all time and also became the first Indian film by an Indian production to win an Academy Award as it took home the Oscar for Best Song for “Naatu Naatu” (via BBC.) As a true showcase of Indian cinema’s global potential, RRR kept the action consistent and was a powerful spectacle for audiences.

RRR was such an impressive achievement that it even received acclaim from notable Hollywood directors such as James Cameron, JJ Abrams, Edgar Wright, and Christopher Nolan, just to name a few. Filmmaking legend Steven Spielberg even called RRR “outstanding” and said, “it was extraordinary to look at and experience” (via Economic Times.) With this level of acclaim, every action lover should be sure to experience RRR for themselves.

Sources: India Today, BBC, Economic Times