Pop-culture references fly thick and fast in Vasan Bala‘s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, in which a man whose medical condition makes him impervious to pain sets out to catch the chain-snatchers that killed his mother. The film’s title itself is a reference to a recurring Amitabh Bachchan dialogue in Mard (1985) – “Jo mard hota hai usko dard nahin hota hai”. Bala says these references weren’t curated, but came about organically. “We didn’t want to force-fit anything into the movie. Things kept getting added even while we were shooting.” Here’s everything I spotted, and many more that he pointed out:

EVERY MOVIE REFERENCED Every movie Surya watches: Egged on by his grandfather (Mangesh Manjrekar), Surya (Abhimanyu Dasani) becomes obsessed with martial arts movies, watching them on VHS and mimicking the actors’ moves. Here are the titles that pop up on his shelf or in his player: Geraftaar (1985), Secret Rivals (1976), Return of The Street Fighter (1974), Big Trouble in Little China (1986), The Crow (1994), Gymkata (1985), The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978), Game of Death (1972). Every movie poster spotted: City Hunter (1993), The Protector (2005), Bad Taste (1987), Seven Samurai (1954), Rambo (2008) and Rocky (1976). Aaj Ka Goonda Raj (1992): Surya’s parents and grandfather are at the theatre watching the ‘It’s A Challenge’ song from this Ravi Raja Pinisetty film moments before he is born. The Terminator (1984): Surya briefly toys with the idea of his mother defeating a Terminator before deciding to tell the audience the real story of his birth. Drunken Master (1978): ‘Jaise Drunken Master ka wine, Bruce Lee ka nanchaku, waise tera water backpack,’ says Surya’s grandfather, cautioning him against getting dehydrated.

Kung Fu Panda (2008): Unable to recall whether he should address the martial arts master as ‘Karate Man’ or ‘Shaolin Master’, an overwhelmed Surya blurts out ‘Shifu’ instead. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004): “The shot of Surya and Karate Mani lying on the ground outside the Country Liquor Bar is a reference to Joel and Clementine lying on the ice in Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind,” says Bala. Paap Ko Jalakar Raakh Kar Doonga (1988): Surya’s catchphrase is the title of this Govinda movie. Pulp Fiction (1994): Jimmy sipping his drink from a plastic cup is a callback to Jules’ (Samuel L. Jackson) drinking from the Big Kahuna Burger cup in the Quentin Tarantino film, says Bala.

Mother India (1957): “Aisi hi hoon, Mother India banne ki koshish nahi kar rahi hoon,” says Supri’s mother, referencing the famous self-sacrificial mother played by Nargis. Shahenshah (1988): While Surya is fixated on his role as the (super)hero of his own story, others don’t quite see him the same way. He gets called ‘Matunga Ka Feroz Khan’ and ‘Sasta Shahenshah’.

Kaminey (2009): Surya hums a brief snatch of ‘Dhan Te Nan’ from this Vishal Bhardwaj film when he gives his grandfather a peek at his new costume.Big Trouble In Little China (1986): Karate Mani’s hairstyle was inspired by that of Kurt Russell’s character’s in this film. THX 1138 (1971): The (fictional) guideline under which a gun can be obtained at the workplace, cited in the pre-climax sequence, is named after George Lucas’s first feature film. Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012): “Karate Mani ka, Supri ka, sabka badla lega Surya,” he says during the final showdown, referencing the iconic dialogue from Anurag Kashyap’s film.

Rocky (1976): Is any movie about underdogs really complete without a reference to Sylvester Stallone’s seven-film franchise? Surya says he feels like the boxer towards the end of the climactic fight.