The Baddies of Bollywood can never be like the ones we had till the era of the 90s. A lot of popular actors are even today known for their evil persona and characters they have played in Bollywood films. Even if you ask a person who does not have much knowledge about films about Mogambo, he will tell you that the great actor Amrish Puri played the role. The villains of Bollywood were vicious, and dynamic and had their own stay in films which were earmarked to be the biggies for Bollywood heroes. People used to praise the hero and the villain equally for their wonderful portrayals. If Jai and Veeru were iconic in Sholay, Gabbar Singh was the talk of the town in Bollywood for a long time. Also, these villains and actors are known for their iconic dialogues too.
So here is IWMBuzz.com revisiting the Golden Era of the best of the best, when it came to the villains. Here is a list of the evil biggies of Bollywood.
Ajit:
“Sara shehar mujhe Loyan (Lion) ke naam se jaanta hai” – This is Ajit aka Lion for you from the film Kalicharan. Ajit who is also called Hamid Ali Khan, was the undisputed king for a long time when it came to the popularity of villains in Bollywood. He had a unique style and his persona was daunting to the audience. He portrayed the well-groomed, sophisticated villain of that time. His style sense, even in those days, was commendable to watch!!
Amjad Khan:
There was a time when mothers used to tell their kids not to make noise, otherwise, Gabbar Singh would come!! Amjad Khan was a gigantic actor who was very good at his dialogue delivery. He was equally at ease in his villainous style as much as he was in his comic timing. Gabbar Singh of the evergreen film Sholay, even today remains the love of the Nation. He was amazing as a villain in the 70’s era.
Amrish Puri:
Mogambo from the film Mr India is an unforgettable character in Bollywood history. Played effortlessly by Amrish Puri, the character and his antics as a ruthless villain touched hearts. Amrish Puri was known for his thundering voice and amazing personality. ‘Mogambo khush hua’ – the dialogue from the film Mr India, is known to one and all. A lot of actors have tried mimicking this dialogue the way Amrish Puri said it, but we all know that there can be only one Amrish Puri!! His majestic appearance, and effortless portrayals of the baddie characters that were offered to him, made him extremely popular.
Anupam Kher:
Known for his innumerable villain performances, Anupam Kher has always been a star actor in his earlier days. His portrayal of Dr Dang in the Dilip Kumar film Karma, rings in our minds even today. His scenes in the jail with thespian actor Dilip Kumar in the jail, and the dialogues delivered by the two great actors are evergreen.
Danny Denzongpa:
Danny’s enormous presence and his sharp facial expressions could give any viewer a shiver down his spine. His role as Bhaktawar in the Amitabh Bachchan starrer film Hum was huge. Danny has always been a charismatic performer, known for his villainous roles in Bollywood. His eyes could speak volumes, even if he remained silent. That was the power of the man!!
Gulshan Grover:
Who would not remember him as ‘Kesariya Vilayati’ from the film Ram Lakhan? Popularly known as the ‘Bad Man’ of the industry, Gulshan Grover stunned one and all with his villainous mannerisms and gestures. His entire body could act, and again, his eyes were scary and epitomized all the evil.
Jeevan:
Jeevan did not have the strong physique and muscular body that many of the popular villains of that time in Bollywood had. But Jeevan was known to play the scheming villain very well. His character of Robert in Amar Akbar Anthony is surely etched in many memories. Who can forget his raising of the eyebrow and the unique dialogue delivery? People who have seen in action will understand what we are trying to say!!
Kulbhushan Kharbanda:
His amazing villainous portrayal as Shakaal in the Amitabh Bachchan- Shashi Kapoor starrer film Shaan is iconic. His bald persona, his vicious smile, and his amazing dialogue delivery were spot on. ‘Shakaal ke haathon mein jitne patte hote hai utne hi patte uski asteen main bhi hote hai’ is one of the famous dialogues of this iconic character.
Pran:
He was a great actor, who was true to his personification of being called the ‘Bad Man’ of Bollywood. He was stylish in his roles, when he began his career. Equally good at carrying out the rustic villain roles, Pran was a delight to watch. In the role of Raka in Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai, Pran matched Manoj Kumar in every scene with his towering presence as the villain.
Prem Nath:
We all know him with long tresses as Sir Judah in the Rishi Kapoor starrer film, Karz. Short and plump, he was another example of not being perfect to look the villain. But he had tremendous acting skills that put aside the inhibitions his appearance gave him. His eyes could act, and he carried unique power in all the roles he played.
Prem Chopra:
He was stylish to the core. He could give any hero of that time, a run for their money in terms of his looks and features. ‘Prem naam hai mera Prem Chopra’ – this famous dialogue from the film Bobby gave him the tagline that remains with him forever. Who can forget Prem Chopra? He was the classy villain of all times!!
Ranjeet:
Again, Ranjeet was a stylish young man with great looks. Certainly, he was the underdog when it came to villains of that time, who silently achieved and made a mark for himself. Kundan in the film Sharmeelee cannot be forgotten, can we?
Shakti Kapoor:
The ‘Balma’ of Bollywood, Shakti Kapoor could effortlessly blend comedy and tyranny in one role. If there was one actor who inspired others to add comedy to a villainous persona, Shakti Kapoor’s name would appear first. Again, great looks, great personality and amazing expressions that could change every minute. His Balma act in Chaalbaaz remains one of the best!!
Sadashiv Amrapurkar:
A marvellous actor who brought with him immense grace and power. His Maharani act in Sadak with Sanjay Dutt was the perfect example of the class that he exuded into his roles.
Bollywood misses this Golden Era of Villains. Gone are the times when villains and their characters were written to remember. There are hardly any villains in recent times that have touched the chords of the masses with their evergreen and memorable villainous acts. There is no recall value to such characters being written or executed in the recent times in Bollywood. The closest to it is the recent twin delivery coming from Manish Wadhwa in SRK’s Pathaan and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2. Manish Wadhwa has proved that Bollywood can get back amazing times with powerful villains coming to the fore again!! Good characterizations and effective executions are the key!! A
We hope and pray that Bollywood does get such effective actors who are known for their deadly villainous acts even in the years to come!! At this juncture, we at IWMBuzz.com, would pay our respects to this Golden Era of actors who epitomized to be the perfect villains in Bollywood!!