How Akshaye Khanna, Bobby Deol and Sunny Deol rewrote their ’90s success story

The idea of a ’90s Bollywood comeback is enough to send millennial cinephiles spiralling into nostalgia.

Those were the days—when Shah Rukh Khan redefined romance, Sunny Deol’s “dhai kilo ka haath” echoed through single-screen theatres, and Bobby Deol’s floppy hair and Soldier Soldier steps ruled pop culture. Akshaye Khanna, meanwhile, oscillated between chocolate-boy charm and quietly solid performances long before memes discovered his brilliance.

For years, that era felt archived. Then came 2023. And by 2025–26, it became clear: the ’90s weren’t just back—they had reinvented themselves for a Gen Z audience.

Over the last three years, Akshaye Khanna, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol have each delivered career-defining hits, proving that longevity, when paired with reinvention, can be box-office gold.

Akshaye Khanna: The dark horse who stole the spotlight

From Taal to Border, Akshaye Khanna was always respected—but rarely celebrated loudly. That changed dramatically in 2025.

He began the year with Chhaava, delivering a chilling turn as Aurangzeb, before completely taking over the internet as Karachi-based mobster Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar. Despite Ranveer Singh headlining the film, it was Akshaye’s menacing calm and understated menace that became the film’s most talked-about element.

Suddenly, social media rediscovered his comic genius—from Hungama and Hulchul to the now-viral Tees Maar Khan scene where his character dreams of winning an Oscar. Fans joked that the Academy had been ignoring him for decades.

Netflix’s 2026 slate announcement only added fuel to the fire. Akshaye’s reunion with Sunny Deol in Ikka feels like a collision of two powerful comeback arcs—Border 2 meets Dhurandhar energy, with nostalgia baked into modern spectacle.

Sunny Deol: When nostalgia meets nationalistic fervour

Sunny Deol’s career has always been defined by raw intensity. In the ’90s, films like Ghayal, Ghatak and Damini cemented him as Hindi cinema’s ultimate action powerhouse.

His second innings began emphatically with Gadar 2 in 2023. At a time when audiences were gravitating towards nationalism-driven narratives with emotional heft, Tara Singh’s return struck a deep chord. Strong word-of-mouth, repeat audiences and grassroots marketing helped turn the film into a historic blockbuster.

Border 2 followed in 2026, with Sunny acting as the emotional backbone of a new-generation war epic. Despite a younger ensemble cast, his presence grounded the film in legacy and sentiment. Released on January 23, 2026, the film is steadily marching towards the ₹300 crore mark in India—an extraordinary feat for a sequel led by a 68-year-old star.

For Sunny Deol, sequels have become a bridge between eras, transforming nostalgia into sustained box-office power.

Bobby Deol: The rise of “Lord Bobby”

Bobby Deol’s comeback has been quietly building since 2020. Aashram and Class of ’83 laid the foundation, but it was Animal (2023) that detonated the transformation.

In just 15 minutes of screen time as Abrar Haque, Bobby unleashed a performance that reignited his career and crowned him “Lord Bobby” in internet culture. Memes, dance reels and viral clips followed, with Jamal Kudu becoming an unlikely cultural phenomenon.

What truly worked was Bobby leaning into his reinvention. His turn as cynical superstar Ajay Talwar in The Ba**ds of Bollywood* showcased self-awareness and sharp edge. Aryan Khan’s reimagining of Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela sealed the deal—old-school nostalgia, repackaged for digital-native audiences.

What connects all three comebacks? Consistency

Across Akshaye Khanna, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, one common factor stands out: consistency in choice and conviction in performance.

Much like Shah Rukh Khan’s three-film resurrection in 2023 (Pathaan, Jawan, Dunki), these actors didn’t chase relevance—they redefined it. Their success lies in embracing age, experience and gravitas, while allowing younger audiences to discover them anew through memes, OTT platforms and stylised antagonistic roles.

As Bollywood continues to straddle nostalgia and novelty, the ’90s stars have proven one thing decisively: reinvention beats reinvention anxiety.

Until the next record falls, here’s to travelling back in time—while keeping one foot firmly planted in the present.