Cinema VinesVishal Tyagi, the veteran special‑effects artist behind some of Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters, continues to push the limits of practical effects with a philosophy that puts fire and real explosions at the heart of his work. In the climactic tanker blast of the latest action film “Dhurandhar 2,” Tyagi’s team used 500 litres of petrol and carefully calibrated explosives to create a scene that, according to the 48‑year‑old, was 100 % authentic. The sequence, which features superstar Ranveer Singh, was built on a real train chassis, with acrylic panels mounted on a metal frame that melt and fragment under the blast, giving the audience a visceral sense of chaos that CGI can only approximate.
Tyagi’s approach reflects a growing trend in Indian cinema to favour tangible, high‑risk stunts over computer‑generated imagery. “Our core expertise lies in executing real, controlled effects, from firearms to large‑scale explosions,” he told AFP, showing burn scars on his hand from a recent shoot. He argues that artificial intelligence cannot replicate the unpredictability of nature—fire, smoke, rain—elements that add authenticity to a film’s visual language.
Beyond explosions, Tyagi’s warehouse in a Mumbai suburb houses a vast collection of weapons, from AK‑47s to sniper rifles and rocket launchers. These props are supplied to film sets across India and abroad, having appeared in productions such as the Oscar‑winning “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” Netflix’s “Extraction,” Salman Khan’s “Tiger” franchise, and Shah Rukh Khan’s “Pathaan” and “Jawan.”
The roots of Tyagi’s career lie in his family’s legacy. His father, Mahendra Tyagi, migrated to Mumbai from Uttar Pradesh in the 1970s, began with small acting roles, and eventually established a prop‑gun business. Vishal grew up surrounded by firearms and explosives on movie sets, a fascination that led him to pursue a career in special effects. After his father’s tragic death in a studio fire, Tyagi vowed to continue the work “in the correct manner,” refusing to compromise on quality despite the lower pay that some filmmakers offer.
Despite rapid advances in AI, Tyagi maintains that technology cannot replace the craft of practical effects. “AI is not creating anything new. It will show you only what you feed into the system, so there is no threat,” he said. He believes that the unpredictability of real fire and explosions is what audiences appreciate, and he remains committed to delivering Hollywood‑scale results even when Bollywood budgets are limited.
