Salman Khan in Dabangg and Sanjay Dutt in Knock Out, both actors will be seen in hand-to-hand combat with their adversaries in the climax of their films

Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt are racing towards the release of their action dramas at around the same time. While in Abhinav Kashyap's Dabangg Salman does some of the most intense action scenes of his life, Sanjay Dutt has pulled out all stops in Knock Out with action scenes that are bone-breaking real.

Interestingly, the climax of both Dabangg and Knock Out show Salman and Sanjay locked in a hand-to-hand combat with their adversary.

While in Dabangg, Khan fights Sonu Sood, in Knock Out Dutt is locked in a photo-finish fight with the British choreographer Joey Ansah who directed stunts for Matt Damon in The Bourne Ultimatum. Initially Ansah was only supposed to direct the climax.

Bash like Bourne
Says a source, "Sanju Baba wanted the fight to be as hard-hitting and real as the one between Matt Damon and Joey Ansah in The Bourne Ultimatum. So he suggested to director Mani Shankar that the adversary fighter in the climax should be Ansah himself."

Almost 18 kilos lighter, Dutt has done the most intricate wrist-supported somersault-in-the-air seen in Indian cinema in Knock Out. Ansah has also smashed empty bottles on Dutt's head.

Breaking bottles
Says the director, "Sanju insisted on letting Joey Ansah break bottles on his head. We had ordered special bottles made of brittle glass from Los Angeles but still it was very painful."

So whose hand-to-hand combat would have that optimum impact? Salman's or Sanju's? Wait and watch.

FACT Abhishek Bachchan too has a bloodied hand-to-hand combat with Southern star Vikram in Mani Ratnam's Raavan.