Swish, swoop, swoosh…goes the sword and the Warrior dances merry with it, killing thousands on the battlefield, marching ahead and winning it for his army. The scene has been recreated numerous times on celluloid and yet, every time we see it, it gives us gooseflesh. Such is the impact of such scenes! Needless to say, it’s every director’s dream to choreograph a war scene that’s as iconic. But a scene of such epic proportions is only possible if the actor, taking the enemy army head-on, looks the part. He should not only convincingly pull off the costume but also ace the expressions expected of a warrior on the battlefield.

We have had quite a few actors try their hands at playing a warrior. Now Varun Dhawan is all set to play one in his recently announced film, Rannbhoomi. Speaking about the same, the film’s director, Shashank Khaitan, revealed, “Rannbhoomi is a warrior film, which showcases love, relationships, sacrifices, revenge, and heroism. I remember, I began developing it in December 2015 and shared the idea with Varun, who got excited about it. Now, Karan has given us the wings to fly and we are excited to turn this dream into a reality.” Well we sure do hope that Varun manages to look convincing as a warrior and here’s who he should refer to, if he wants to make an impact…

Shah Rukh Khan in Asoka

Remember the scary avatar of Shah Rukh Khan, where he goes on a killing spree in the battle of Kalinga, as Asoka? Well, it certainly gave us quite a few sleepless nights. If Varun wants to play a fierce warrior, he should certainly refer to this.

Salman Khan in Veer

Well, Salman Khan is synonymous with Prem for a lot of us who grew up in the ’90s and so, seeing him as the fierce warrior in Veer was quite a welcome change. Varun, who is a huge fan of Salman Khan, might want to channel his Veer avatar.

Prabhas in Baahubali 2

Amarendra Baahubali, single-handedly, managed to tackle humongous armies while looking like an absolute prince, sweeping Devasena off her feet. Needless to say, we were sold! Varun, too, might benefit from learning a thing or two about bravery from this awesome sauce character.

Hrithik Roshan in Jodhaa Akbar

Why won’t all hail Akbar if he defended the nation, was just and kind and looked like a Greek God! Not only was Hrithik’s Akbar mushy and romantic, he was also a feisty warrior, who could strategise like a pro! Varun would be lucky if he can make himself look just as adorable as Hrithik did while fighting on the battlefield.

Ranveer Singh in Bajirao Mastani

While the film was more of a love story, it doesn’t discount how convincing Ranveer Singh looked as the Maratha warrior, who won the battle for his king, several times. Ranveer, like in most of his roles, was absolutely a delight to watch. Varun might want to take a leaf out of his book for his role.

Sushant Singh Rajput in Raabta

Sushant Singh Rajput had two avatars in the reincarnation drama that was Raabta. While he was suave, modern boy-next-door for the most part of the film, he was a warrior in the scenes of his past life. Sushant looked convincing as a tribal warrior but we wished we could have seen more of that role in the film. We don’t know what kind of a warrior is Varun playing the film but if it is a tribal warrior, Sushant should be his guide to look convincing.

However, these are only suggestions. Varun might want to play the character without any references. And we can’t wait for the first look of the film already. Karan Johar, are you reading?