Bloodstone

Bloodstone (1988) is an Indian martial arts action-adventure film directed by Dwight H. Little. It stars Rajinikanth, Brett Stimely and Anna Nicholas. The plot centres on a small-time thief who secretly conceals a priceless jewel in the luggage of American newlyweds, Sandy and Stephanie. Blissfully ignorant of the goods they’re ferrying, the couple soon finds themselves the object of pursuit by thuggish henchmen. With the aid of their shit-talking, off-the-beaten-path taxi driver, they do their best to stay one step in front. Things take an adrenaline-pumping turn when Stephanie is taken hostage by the thugs.

In the 12th Century, India, a ruby was granted the virtues of benevolence and malediction of cruelty through the blood of Princess Lafla. Then, in the 18th century, it was the British who stole it. In today’s India, crooked Paul Lorre steals the rock and escapes with the unwitting Sandy & Stephanie McVey. Lorre tips off taxi driver Shyam Sabu that Van Hoeven’s men are, and they abduct Lorre’s love interest, Stephanie. Van Hoeven offers to trade Stephanie for the gem located at the waterfalls along the road to Bangalore. Sandy, unable to afford to buy the gem herself, agrees to buy it as a way to save Stephanie’s life. As they gear up for war, Sabu tells his Indian friends that their assistance will be required.

As they go inside the palace compound to ensure things run smoothly for this royal bash, Sandy and Sabu manage to invade the palace and accidentally drop the ruby. They are scenes from slaughter when Sabu’s comrades attack the citadel, exploding into a chaotic and crimson collectivity. Sandy, Stephanie and Sabu flee into the gun muzzles of Ramesh’s troops, while Van Hoeven and Misba are taken into custody. As Inspector Ramesh saves the day and becomes a hero, the Bloodstone is still out there.

Bloodstone serves up an action-packed romp of fantasy, fun and frights with a distinctive Indian flair. Full of pulse-pounding pursuit, hairpin reversals, and a cavalcade of humanity once both worlds collide, the film never lets off the gas. Infusing the best of Western cinema with Indian cinematic flair, this action-packed and often comedic journey is such a fun watch. The film knows exactly what it is, leans heavily into the absurdity of its adventures, and is pure, unadulterated fun from beginning to end.