Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan performed several of his own stunts at the age of 81 for Nag Ashwin Reddy’s latest dystopian sci-fi epic Kalki 2898 AD, shows a behind-the-scenes video shared by production house Vyjayanthi Movies on Instagram on Sunday.

The video shows Amitabh, who takes on the role of Ashwatthama, lifting heavy weights, delivering powerful punches, jumping off a raised platform and practising stick-fighting. It also features Prabhas as bounty hunter Bhairava honing his silambam skills with a bamboo staff. Deepika Padukone, who essays the role of a pregnant woman in the film, is seen with harness belts attached to her waist as she jumps off an edge.

“Behind the action of #Kalki 2898 AD with Stunt Choreographer @andy_long_nguyen,” the makers captioned their post.

In the video, Kalki director Nag Ashwin heaped praise on stunt choreographer Andy Long Nguyen for his patience and commitment to his craft. “So I saw what he had done for a different film and I really liked the way he put together the stunt-viz. I just liked the attention to detail mainly, whether it’s a small tilt up or a small movement which he wants to get, he makes sure he gets it. That just translates to how much you care for your craft or shot or something,” Nag Ashwin said in the video.

Nag Ashwin also mentioned that Andy Long prioritised the actors’ safety and comfort. “It’s also good to see the team taking care of an actor like Amitabh Bachchan without trying to strain him too much and work with Prabhas...just work best according to their body language and their capabilities and how to not compromise the scene at all and still keep their safety and comfort as a priority,” the 38-year-old director added.

Kalki 2898 AD has already breached the Rs 1,000-crore mark globally since its theatrical release on June 27. The film has minted Rs 580.15 crore nett at the domestic box office, according to industry data-tracking site Sacnilk.

Apart from Amitabh, Prabhas and Deepika, Kalki 2898 AD also stars Kamal Haasan, Saswata Chatterjee and Disha Patani in key roles.