Bollywood’s best martial arts movies run from Akshay Kumar’s 1990s Khiladi films to Vidyut Jammwal’s Kalaripayattu-trained Commando series, Tiger Shroff’s Baaghi franchise and the 2024 breakout Kill. Hindi cinema is famous for song and dance, but over three decades it has built a real action tradition, and more and more of it draws on India’s own martial arts.
Below are 15 films worth watching, the fighting styles behind them, and where to start if a film makes you want to train.
The best Bollywood martial arts movies
| Movie | Year | Lead | Why watch it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khiladi | 1992 | Akshay Kumar | Launched the “Khiladi” series and Akshay’s image as a trained martial artist |
| Mohra | 1994 | Akshay Kumar | Classic 90s action with hand-to-hand fight scenes |
| Ashoka | 2001 | Shah Rukh Khan | Sword combat set around the Kalinga war |
| Chandni Chowk to China | 2009 | Akshay Kumar | Kung fu comedy with Hong Kong legend Gordon Liu as the villain |
| Commando: A One Man Army | 2013 | Vidyut Jammwal | Vidyut has trained in Kalaripayattu since childhood, and it shows |
| Heropanti | 2014 | Tiger Shroff | Debut that made Tiger’s kicking and acrobatics famous |
| Baaghi | 2016 | Tiger Shroff | Kalaripayattu training scenes set in Kerala |
| Commando 2 | 2017 | Vidyut Jammwal | Fast, practical close-quarter fights |
| Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota | 2019 | Abhimanyu Dassani | A love letter to martial arts films; won the Midnight Madness audience award at TIFF 2018 |
| War | 2019 | Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff | Big-budget action with a memorable hand-to-hand duel |
| Commando 3 | 2019 | Vidyut Jammwal | Third film in the series |
| Baaghi 3 | 2020 | Tiger Shroff | Large-scale action set pieces |
| Khuda Haafiz | 2020 | Vidyut Jammwal | Grounded, gritty fights |
| Kill | 2024 | Lakshya | A train-set action film widely praised as one of India’s most intense fight movies |
| Baaghi 4 | 2025 | Tiger Shroff | The latest in the franchise, released in September 2025 |
Indian martial arts on screen
The biggest change in recent years is that Indian films now use India’s own fighting arts, not only kung fu and karate.
- Kalaripayattu (Kerala) appears in Baaghi and shapes Vidyut Jammwal’s style across the Commando films. Malayalam cinema has gone further: Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989) and Urumi (2011) are built around Kalari warriors and the urumi, a flexible sword.
- Bodhidharma, the Indian monk linked by legend to Shaolin kung fu, is the subject of the Tamil film 7aum Arivu (2011).
- Other Indian arts with screen potential include Silambam (Tamil Nadu), Gatka (Punjab), Thang-Ta (Manipur) and Mardani Khel (Maharashtra). Read our guide to Indian weapon-based martial arts.
The actors who actually train
- Akshay Kumar trained in martial arts in Bangkok before films and does much of his own action.
- Vidyut Jammwal grew up training in Kalaripayattu in Kerala and is known for doing his own stunts.
- Tiger Shroff is a trained taekwondo black belt and also studies gymnastics and other striking arts.
What’s next for martial arts in Bollywood
The success of Kill showed that Indian audiences want realistic, well-choreographed fights, not only stylised heroics. Expect more films that use Indian arts like Kalaripayattu and Gatka, more OTT action series, and more actors who train seriously before shooting.
Global classics worth watching too
If you enjoy these, try the films that inspired Bollywood’s action directors: Enter the Dragon (1973), Drunken Master (1978), Ip Man (2008) and The Raid (2011). See our full guide to the best Hollywood martial arts movies.
Inspired to train?
Every actor on this list started as a beginner in a local class. Find martial arts institutes near you in our directory, or read how to start martial arts as a beginner.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the best martial arts movie in Bollywood? For realistic action, Kill (2024) and Commando: A One Man Army (2013) are often rated highest. For classic 90s action, start with Khiladi (1992) and Mohra (1994).
Which Bollywood actor is a real martial artist? Vidyut Jammwal (Kalaripayattu), Tiger Shroff (taekwondo) and Akshay Kumar (trained in Bangkok) all have real martial arts training.
Which Indian movies feature Kalaripayattu? Baaghi (2016), the Commando series, and Malayalam films Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989) and Urumi (2011).
Is Kalaripayattu taught outside Kerala? Yes. Kalaripayattu schools now operate in several Indian cities. Search our directory for a class near you.
