The very thought of a '90s comeback reduces millennial cinephiles to a puddle of nostalgia.
"Those were the days," they say.
The era that gave us Shah Rukh Khan's larger-than-life romantic gestures and Sunny Deol's "Dhai kilo ka haath" that lowkey still reverberates in every actioner he stars in. Before the chants of "Lord Bobby" started ricocheting across theatres after Animal, Bobby Deol was all about his signature long wavy hairstyle, matching his steps to Soldier Soldier.
Sunny Deol in Damini (L) Bobby Deol In Soldier (R)
Akshaye Khanna was more popular as Jeetu from Videocon in the comic relief Hungama (2003), and the doe-eyed romantic hero in Taal (1999) before he took over the Internet as a charming antagonist Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar.
Akshaye Khanna in Hungama (L) and in Taal (R)
Days passed, as did generations, and soon the '90s cinematic era became a fleeting memory.
Until 2023, when all hell broke loose. Past 2025 and into 2026, one can now safely say that the '90s bandwagon has made a ballistic entry into the comeback club. The box office numbers and audience craze speak for themselves.
To add to it, Netflix unveiled its stellar 2026 lineup yesterday, and the Internet could not keep calm as Akshaye Khanna was once again back on screen-this time reuniting with Sunny Deol in Ikka, a classic Border 2 meets Dhurandhar moment, two unstoppable films of recent times.
2026 is about to get bigger, and the '90s men are here to stay. But while we wait for new records to be smashed, here are the dark horses who did so with "actions" (literally) speaking louder than words.
The "Oscar-Worthy" Akshaye Khanna Moment
From his boy-next-door looks in films like Taal to showcasing versatility in war dramas like Border, Akshaye Khanna established himself as a bankable actor in the 90s. However, it took more than three decades for the world to recognise the credibility he has always owned on the silver screen.
Akshaye Khanna emerged as the dark horse who no one saw coming in 2025. The actor began the year with the blockbuster Chhaava in the menacing role of Aurangzeb, only to supersede it with the mega-blockbuster Dhurandhar, with his antagonistic Karachi-based mobster role as Rehman Dakait, who became an Internet sensation.
Akshaye Khanna in Chhaava (L) in Dhurandhar (R)
It was almost like a rebirth of Akshaye Khanna, with new fans joining the "entourage" (pun intended). Given the title of a recluse, the actor was nowhere to be found-no hint of how overwhelmed he must have been feeling-until social media discovered him, just about three decades later.
Several references surfaced that made the audience revisit his comic capers, such as Tees Maar Khan (2010), Hulchul (2004), and Hungama (2003), to name a few-with fans quipping, "He has always been a great actor."
One of his most viral scenes from Tees Maar Khan as actor Aatish Kapoor, who only dreams of an Oscar, was widely circulated on social media. With fans echoing thoughts like, "Give him the Oscar already!"
His smooth moves, grooving to the Arabic track FA9LA by Bahraini rapper Flipperachi, were compared to his dance to the song Rafta Rafta from Hulchul.
Dhurandhar has been "ghatak" indeed. Despite Ranveer Singh being the main lead, Akshaye Khanna stole the limelight in many ways in an ensemble cast featuring several big names such as Sanjay Dutt and R Madhavan.
While fans are waiting with bated breath for Dhurandhar: The Revenge and how the story of Rehman Dakait moves forward, Netflix left viewers stunned with their 2026 slate announcement last evening. If Akshaye Khanna alone wasn't enough, Siddharth P Malhotra's upcoming film Ikka brings Sunny Deol into the mix, who has also been riding high on the historic success of Gadar 2 (2023) and now Border 2 (2026).
A "Dhai Kilo Ka Haath" Level Comeback For 90s Action Star Sunny Deol
Amid the Khan triad in the '90s, Sunny Deol carved his niche in raw actioners such as Arjun (1985), Ghayal (1990), and Ghatak (1996).
It was Rajkumar Santoshi's 1993 film Damini when his dialogue "Dhai kilo ka haath" became legendary-and to date, it is associated with him. Almost like a representation of the magnanimity his presence brings to the big screen.
In 2023, Sunny Deol unleashed a revival story like no other with the grand success of Gadar 2. In the last few years, Hindi cinegoers have been increasingly pulled towards films in which high-octane nationalism and accompanying emotional family drama get a double thumbs-up from the audience.
Gadar 2 and Sunny Deol as Tara Singh hit the bull's eye. Talk about being at the right place at the right time.
Sunny Deol in Gadar 2
Word-of-mouth, repeated viewings, and a marketing strategy rooted in rural arenas significantly added to the film's solid theatrical run.
He did Jaat (2025) in the middle, but the "dhai kilo ka" energy only made a comeback again this year with Border 2. As the patriotic fervour rose, Sunny Deol's loud, shrill energy and yet another sequel that took the audience down memory lane worked in his favour.
JP Dutta's Border in 1997 is, to date, one of the most beloved war dramas to have been immortalised on the big screen. Border 2 comes with a new-gen cast featuring Varun Dhawan, Diljit Dosanjh, and Ahan Shetty, but the presence of the 68-year-old in the film acts as an emotional anchor-and that is enough to lead the film to its blockbuster status.
Released on January 23, 2026, Border 2 is on its way to the Rs 300 crore club in India, which is a steady feat. Clearly, sequels have been a knight in shining armour for Sunny Deol's second innings.
And it seems like celebrations are raining in the Deol house, for his brother Bobby Deol has been another '90s gem who has been promoted to "Lord Bobby" status.
All Hail Lord Bobby
Bobby Deol's massive comeback in recent times has been simmering since early 2020. The OTT series Aashram (2020) and Class of '83 (2020) were laying down the groundwork before a full explosion of Bobby Deol's reinvention took place in the 2023 blockbuster Animal.
His 15-minute role as the menacing Abrar Haque in the Sandeep Reddy Vanga film rejuvenated a career that had perhaps been put on the back burner when his low phase hit.
Bobby Deol himself was visibly emotional, for in a career spanning 29 years, this amount of love was not bestowed upon him even when he made his debut in the 1995 romantic action film Barsaat.
From an unprecedented "Lord Bobby" meme fest gaining momentum on social media to his Jamal Kudu dance being the talk of the town, Bobby Deol was suddenly the '90s prince everyone had their eyes on.
What is working for both the Deols at this point is a recycling of their '90s aura and channelling it into the Internet era. Just as Sunny Deol's return in Gadar 2 and Border 2 made fans emotional, Bobby Deol's character in The Ba***ds of Bollywood was a chef's kiss.
As a cynical superstar, Ajay Talwar, and the antagonist of the show, Bobby Deol hit all the right spots. But it was Aryan Khan's genius to incorporate a reimagined version of the '90s cult classic Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela, which made Bobby Deol fans yelp in joy.
Old is gold, they say-and this time, it has been pure magic for the '90s charmers.
The bombastic responses at the box office have been a further reassurance as to how the audience is all here for it. Just a flick is enough to strike a yearning-or, as they say now, "FOMO"-amid the audience to see more of these actors who have been in the business forever, but sadly, the Internet wasn't here to hype them up.
What's common between the three stars in the last 3 years? Consistency.
Similarly, Shah Rukh Khan too made a similar comeback in 2023 with three back-to-back blockbusters-Pathaan, Jawan, and Dunki. Whether or not the record prevails in 2026 with King is what we need to watch out for.
Until then, here's to time-travelling back to the '90s era, while keeping one foot firmly on newer grounds.
ALSO READ | Akshaye Khanna Went Viral When Dhurandhar Released. Netflix Flipped The Script