The violent, lone-wolf cop or avenger faded, replaced by multi-starrers ( Karan Arjun , Saajan ) or comic capers ( Hera Pheri – released 2000 but rooted in 90s style).

While romance was king, the 90s had a unique flavor of action. We saw the rise of as the ultimate patriot in Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001, but close enough to the era's end) and Border (1997). These were high-octane, chest-thumping films where the hero could take down an army with a single hand pump.

Ram Gopal Varma ushered in a new wave with . It was gritty, realistic, and devoid of glamorous songs shot in Switzerland. It gave birth to "Mumbai Noir."

Shah Rukh Khan became the undisputed king of romance, while Salman Khan played the lovable, action-oriented romantic hero, and Aamir Khan chose diverse, unconventional scripts. Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, and Suniel Shetty also carved niches in action-comedy and drama.

(in no particular order)