Three veteran Bollywood stars near 70 prove age is no barrier as their box office power rises again.

Three Bollywood actors; two pure pedigree, one semi, were expendable until a few years ago. But like it’s said and accepted in Bollywood, when that one Friday turns in your favour, you go straight from avoidable to saleable.

This is exactly what is happening with Sunny Deol, Sanjay Dutt and Anil Kapoor. These three are edging close to 70—Anil is 69; Sunny is 68 and Sanjay is 67 years of age. All of them began their careers in the 80s. After four-and-a-half decades, they can still hold the bull by its horns. Also, none of them come cheap. While Sanjay reportedly takes home anything between 15-25 cr (or a share in the profits, as the case may be); Sunny allegedly charges 35-40 cr (on a good day); and rumours have it that when Anil wanted to decline a film, he supposedly asked for 18 cr. In other words, his fee, like Deol and Dutt, is definitely more.

1. The lion still roars: Sanjay Dutt

How did they script this success? Exhibitor Raju Bansal, who is also a close friend of Dutt, says, “For Dutt, momentum started after KGF-2 (2022), where he played the antagonist, Adheera. The film was an ATBB (all-time blockbuster). And Dutt became hot property as the villain down South. Not only did they pay him mega-bucks, they also treated him like Bollywood royalty. When it comes to style and persona on screen, Sanju is unmatchable. His role in Dhurandhar Part 1 & 2 just made him hotter. There has been turning back for him after that.”