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The 'Kamineys' of Bollywood
In a story, there's no point being good without the existence of bad. Not only does it lend structure to an otherwise linear morality but also reveals the layers of the ever-confusing human psychology.
And that's why every hero, to be a hero and to prove a point, needs to fight an antagonist -- a corrupt, vile creature from head to toe a threatening snake near every ladder.
They call him a villain. Bollywood calls them 'Kaminey.'
Vishal Bharadwaj's latest treat, with its promising title and exhilarating soundtrack, appears to be a celebration of just that. And so with its leading man Shahid Kapur, yet another chocolate-face sheds some of his cocoa quotient to project evil-for-all-practical-purposes brand of greyness.
Just the time to scoop out the rest of Bollywood's Dr Jerkyll turned Mr Hydes out of the bandwagon, we thought:
Shah Rukh Khan
In Darr, he stutters his way to disruption while wrecking havoc in the lives of a newly married couple, K-k-k-kiran in particular. Whereas in Baazigar, the man goes all out. This translates to shoving off his girlfriend off a multi-storied building or going on a killing spree of all possible witnesses.
Risking a potentially romantic image to unleash on-screen menace marked a memorable phase in SRK's early career
Saif Ali Khan
Playing the perennial gangster in gentleman's clothing, Saif sweet talks a gullible Urmila Matondkar into unwittingly become his partner in crime as well bear its brunt, in prison no less.
On the other hand, as Langda Tyagi, an unkempt, foul-mouthed North Indian alter ego of Shakespeare's creation Iago, Saif treads upon the darkest side of human psyche, laying seeds of suspicion, misunderstandings and treachery between his mates leading to irreversible tragedy and regrets.
A complete departure from the frothy imagery of his previous works, the afore-mentioned avatars, Omkara in particular, established the star's reputation as a powerhouse performer.
Ajay Devgan
For this reason alone, it's especially fun to watch Devgan, suffering from a split-personality disorder, unabashedly scowl and spurn at his clueless victims in Anees Bazmee's Deewangee, an otherwise forgettable rip-off of Primal Fear if not for the compelling performances by its lead cast (co-starring Akshaye Khanna, Urmila Matondkar).
Unlike the glowering Tarang of Deewangee fixated on a certain Ms Matondkar, the deceiving cop-turned-devious criminal Angere of Khakee has no qualms about bumping sweetheart Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to save his crafty skin.
Akshay Kumar
As the greedy rogue in the garb of friendly neighbour-next-door, Akki makes a winning impression on the quintessentially trusting Bollywood pati-patni (played by Bobby Deol and Kareena Kapoor) only to use them as pawns in his pursuit for big bucks.
While the Kinng unquestionably rocks as Happy Singh, it was a welcome break to watch the hunk at his humorless best in this take-it-with-a-pinch-of-salt genre of filmmaking.
Arjun Rampal
With startling duplicity and rock star hairstyle, Arjun Rampal's Mukesh Mehra makes wafer-thin promises of going public with his closet-wife and soon-to-be mother of his child (played by Padukone) only to set her in flames in order to close the deal. That's 70s brand of creep-dom for you.
Akshaye Khanna
Only Abbas-Mustan's Race turned out to be far more twisted than its shady protagonists.
As witnessed earlier on, Khanna reserves his mean streak for the director duo. In their previous outing Humraaz, he concocts yet another money-making murder scheme against a bespectacled Bobby Deol to good effect.
Aamir Khan
Everyone has had a good laugh over Aamir Khan's cute pranks in a series of entertainers like Dil, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Rangeela, Ishq or Andaz Apna Apna.
But there's nothing remotely amusing about his dark turn as the vindictive Ice Candy Man in Deepa Mehta's gripping 1947: Earth.
Bitter after the brutal assault on his family, he vows indiscriminate revenge on his enemy religion. Even if it involves torture of his friends or the physical abuse of the girl he claimed feelings for.
Abhishek Bachchan
The lanky ambitions, droopy-eyed ferocity and clumsy passions of Bachchan Jr's body language as the power-driven goonda won him laurels as an 'actor' as well as quite a few award trophies in his kitty.
Anil Kapoor
In this potential blockbuster gone bust at the box-office, Kapoor, known for his trademark swagger and conventional 'herogiri,' hams, hits and howls in true tradition of a Bollywood villain.
Amitabh Bachchan
For Gabbar Singh, redemption is neither a requirement nor a reality. Who'd know this better than the Amitabh Bachchan, having watched him (played memorably by Amjad Khan) in close quarters during the filming of Ramesh Sippy's legendary Sholay in the action-packed decade of the 1970s.
Many years later, Ram Gopal Varma had an exaggerated fan boy moment and he decided to retell the epic as Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag.
Besides being the punching bag of every critic's glove, Aag also evoked negative responses for AB's over-the-top and bizarre portrayal of the iconic dacoit of Indian cinema.