For decades, veteran action director and Vicky Kaushal‘s father Sham Kaushal has redefined how action is portrayed in Indian films, steering away from the exaggerated, physics-defying stunts of the 1990s toward sequences grounded in emotion, character, and story. In a recent conversation, he opens up about collaborating with directors such as Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and Danny Boyle, his fight against cancer, the acting careers of his sons Vicky and Sunny Kaushal, and his belief that Indian cinema needs to tell authentic, homegrown stories to truly succeed on the world stage.
Sham Kaushal on shifting from stunts to emotional realism
Asked how he moved away from the wire-heavy, gravity-defying action of the 90s toward the emotionally grounded style seen in ‘Black Friday,’ ‘Gangs of Wasseypur,’ ‘Dangal,’ ‘Padmaavat,’ and ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ Sham told Variety India, “Whatever I do, I first want to see it through the director’s vision. When I show up for a meeting with a director, I go in like an empty slate, listen carefully, read the script and understand the characters. My goal is to deliver action that serves the story. It isn’t important how Sham Kaushal thinks; it is important what the narrative is. In the same situation, different characters will react in different ways. That is why the action in these films feels completely tailored to the narrative.”
Sham Kaushal on working with Bhansali and Danny Boyle
When asked how directors such as Bhansali and Danny pushed him to make action sequences feel visceral yet poetic, Kaushal said, “These directors are so capable that my best comes out through them. With Danny Boyle on “Slumdog Millionaire,” he sat with me and immediately started narrating the train sequence with the kids hanging upside down. I wondered why he didn’t ask what work I had done. I asked for a day, and later found out he had already researched me and spoken to my past directors. The next day, I brought a miniature train to show how we could execute it, and he was very happy. Similarly, when Sanjay ji was making “Goliyon ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela,” he called and said, “You always say I don’t give you much opportunity for action… But this film has a lot.” My dream of doing an action film with him came true. My principle is: if directors have faith in me, I want to make them feel so comfortable that they love shooting action. I also see it as a continuous learning opportunity working with directors like Mani Ratnam and Rajkumar Hirani.”
Sham Kaushal on the future of action in Hindi cinema
When asked to weigh in on where action in Hindi cinema currently stands and what could still be improved, he shared, “We’re heading in a very good direction; improvements are happening. My only point is that we should hold on to our own culture and make films that reflect it. We have a vast history, with so many historical tales and stories that we can base films on and present in our own way. If we want to break into international cinema, we need to be more Indian in our thinking. We should tell our own stories, rather than others’. If you look at all the films that have become Indian blockbusters over the past few years, be it Hindi or South films, all those films were rooted in Indian storytelling. So, let us focus on Indian cinema.”
