Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan recently took a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about the days when performing daring action sequences in movies meant risking life and limb without the aid of VFX or body double.

Recalling the days when there were no safety nets or sophisticated equipment to assist actors, Bachchan shared his experiences of performing death-defying stunts, including jumping off cliffs, without the luxury of harnesses or face replacements. Accompanying his reflections was a monochromatic image from one of his earlier films, depicting him leaping from a 30-foot-tall cliff, a scene that required sheer grit and courage.

“Taking off from a 30 foot cliff for an action sequence .. no harness, no face replacement, no VFX .. and landing .. err .. on mattresses .. if you were lucky .. “Those were the days my friend”,” the 81-year-old wrote on Instagram.

Having made his acting debut in 1969 with Saat Hindustani, Bachchan has since featured in over 200 films across various genres. Renowned for his versatility, he has delivered memorable performances in iconic action films such as Zanjeer, Sholay and Don. In 1982, while shooting an action sequence for the movie Coolie, Bachchan suffered a near-fatal accident when he mistimed a jump and landed awkwardly, resulting in a serious abdominal injury. He underwent multiple surgeries and a prolonged period of recuperation before making a miraculous comeback to the silver screen.

Last year, Amitabh Bachchan shared screen space with Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon in the action-packed movie Ganapath. Currently, the veteran actor is filming his bilingual venture Kalki 2898 AD and is also poised to make his Tamil film debut with Vettaiyan opposite superstar Rajinikanth.