Grit, guns, and glory: The explosive golden age of Dhallywood action
It all began with the release of ‘Dost Dushmon’ in 1977, followed by ‘Mintu Amar Naam’
The 1980s exploded onto the Bangladeshi silver screen like a bullet through glass.
It was the golden era of Dhallywood action films – a time when every punch landed with flair, every fall drew applause, and heroes bled Rooh Afza red.
Long before that, the silver screen was dominated by pastoral tales, folk fantasies, and royal intrigues. But audiences began to crave something bolder, faster, louder.
Dhallywood answered with a roar.
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"In the '80s, action films came out one after another – and nearly all of them were superhits," recalls legendary fight director Arman.
But action doesn't just happen. It takes training, timing, choreography, steel nerves and even steelier weapons.
And it all began with a spark when the fuse was laid in 1977 with "Dost Dushmon", followed a year later by "Mintu Amar Naam".
Both films drew inspiration from Mumbai's "Sholay" and "Johny Mera Naam", and laid the groundwork for a genre that would soon ignite a national obsession.
Enter the action hero
The centre of all the action was Jashim, who featured in both "Dost Dushmon" and "Mintu Amar Naam".
"He was all action," says filmmaker and researcher Shaheen Mahmud. "He'd watch a fight scene on VCR and stitch together choreography that was local, raw, and electric."
Jashim's journey wasn't born on a film set, but in a wrestling ring in Old Dhaka. Spotted mid-bout by hero Azim, he was brought into the fold at BFDC.
During the Liberation War, while in Kolkata, he trained in martial arts under a Thai instructor. By 1973's "Rangbaaz", he was bringing real combat to the screen.
According to Shaheen, "Rangbaaz" wasn't Bangladesh's first action film — that honour goes to "Protishodh" (1972), directed by Babul Chowdhury.
Another notable entry was Ibn Mizan's "Jighangsha", considered a "lady action" film, a sub-genre where women took the lead. Joba Chowdhury starred in the central role.
Props and pyrotechnics
The action needed its weapons – and Dhallywood didn't wait for imports. It innovated.
"Mintu Amar Naam" became a box office sensation. Screenwriter Chotku Ahmed recalls outfitting the film with revolvers, rifles, and sten guns – all thanks to a young prodigy named Nuru, whose craftsmanship brought Dhallywood's arsenal to life.
"Give him a model, he'd replicate it in hours," says director FI Manik. "He wouldn't sleep until it was done."
Nuru initially used mud to craft replicas, later switching to wood, iron, and steel sheets.
Jashim himself imported astonishingly realistic props from Singapore. Eventually, the first dedicated stunt team – Jambs – was formed by Jashim, Enamul Karim Aman, Mahbub Khan Gui, and Ruhul Amin Babul.
Jumbos evolved into a full-fledged production company, delivering 12 action-packed films, including "Barud", "Johnny", "Aakrosh", "Hero", "Mastan Raja", and "Kajer Beti Rahima".
Ustad Jashim: The mastermind
Jashim earned the affectionate title of "Ustad" at BFDC. Arman, who became his assistant in 1977, once smashed through eight glass walls in a single stunt – a feat that earned him respect across Dhaka, Kolkata, Nepal, and Bangkok.
In 1986, Arman became a fight director. Jashim once told him, "You're my friend, my student – and my teacher. I learn from your work."
Though Jashim once invited him to choreograph a scene, Arman declined out of reverence. Today, he keeps a photo of Jashim in his room and salutes it every time he steps out.
Jashim trained nearly 200 students before his passing in 1998. Notable among them were Moslem, Kamal, Amir, Bullet, Parvez Gangua, Noor Islam, and Awlad.
Arman explains that they not only trained stars in weapons and combat, but also mentored them with intensity.
"We'd scold them, slap them if needed. That's what our Ustad taught us – never compromise. I used to tease Manna, 'Trying to be a hero with legs like a crane!' They tolerated it, because they knew it made them better."
Why the 1980s? Why then?
"The VCR," says Shaheen. "It changed everything."
Suddenly, Dhallywood's choreographers could study Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Bollywood – and reassemble them into bold, original scenes. Even romantic dramas found room for action.
In "Keyamat Theke Keyamat", a sniper assembles a rifle – made by Nuru – to kill the hero. He fails, but the sequence still thrills.
The era also saw the shift from "old action" – stick fights, swordplay, and brawls — to "modern action" with firearms. Dewan Nazrul followed "Dost Dushmon" with "Barud", "Johnny", "Qurbani", and "Dhormo Amar Maa" – the latter arming all its female leads to create a feminist classic.
Other notable names dominated the decade: AJ Mintu, F Kabir Chowdhury, Masud Parvez, Delwar Jahan Jhantu, and Momtaz Ali. "Noshib" made its lead actor a star, and "Usila" marked a strong return in 1986.
Blood on budget
Shaheen recalls the magic behind the violence: "Firecrackers were taped to barrels, wires ran through sleeves, and on cue, small explosions would simulate gunfire. Balloons filled with Rooh Afza and glycerine exploded on impact – instant bloodbath"
Need a trigger? Nuru even used door latches as makeshift triggers.
And Dhallywood's gun obsession went back decades. In "Mukh O Mukhosh" (1956), the heroine shoots the villain. In "Ora 11 Jon", real weapons were wielded by real freedom fighters.
Martial arts era
By the '90s, Dhallywood entered its kung fu phase.
"Sharif Badmash" in 1984 set the tone, but "Loraku" in 1986, directed by Shahidul Islam Khokon and starring Rubel, launched the genre. Axes, samurai swords, nunchaku — and Bruce Lee moves straight from the VCR.
Behind this shift was Ustad Jahangir Alam – a trained fighter from Arakan, discovered in Teknaf. He trained Sohel Rana, Rubel, Elias Kobra, and more, carving a new era of screen combatants.
As FI Manik notes, this period also brought a surge of Indo-Bangla co-productions. Borders blurred. Action, as always, crossed lines with ease.
The Dhallywood of the '80s wasn't perfect. The stunts were dangerous. The props were homemade.
But in every broken window, every staged explosion, and every blood-splattered climax, there was a film industry determined to evolve.
