Where Have The Iconic Bad Guys Of Bollywood Disappeared ?

Bollywood films of the 70s and 80s were instrumental in giving birth to 'specialised villains' who stayed on the minds of the people long after they had finished watching the movies. Starting from KN Singh and then moving on to actors like Pran, Prem Chopra, Amrish Puri and Gulshan Grover, the trend of presenting a really powerful villain in Hindi films.

Such was the impact of villains in earlier decades that people felt terrified of them and wished for the hero to crush the villain under his boots. The villains were specialised to evoke hatred from the people and were very convincing in their roles. In stark comparison, in movies that are made today, we can hardly remember the names of villains or the kind of characteristics they have. The actors playing the roles of villains may be praised and even awarded but their character fails to create that overwhelming feeling that villains of yesteryears used to evoke.

#1. Ajit: Popularly known as 'Loin' (Lion) was such iconic villain. Lines like "Mona Kaha Hai Sona" and "Lily Don't Be Silly" went on to become a rage and his trademark style was copied by many, including his own son who tried to make a career out of his father's legacy. His style of acting and dialogue delivery were so trend-setting that they overshadowed the remarkable performances that he had delivered earlier.

#2. Amjad Khan: The 'Gabbar Singh' of 'Sholay' was one such iconic villain. Ramesh Sippy gave life to the character that would be known as the biggest and the most ruthless villain of all time. His larger than life persona created such an impact on the viewers that his name remained etched in the minds of people for years. Amjad Khan got the opportunity of a lifetime to deliver a knock-out performance, in fact, he surpassed all expectations with his superb acting. In fact, his portrayal of Gabbar Singh is considered to be the first depiction of pure evil in Hindi Cinema and his mannerisms and dialogues are still an integral part of Bollywood.

#3. Amrish Puri: Amrish Puri's classy portrayal of the dreadful Mogambo in 'Mr. India' left a long-lasting impact on the minds of the cine-goers. His dialogue, 'Mogambo Khush Hua' is still mouthed by many as if it is still a very trendy thing to do.

#4. Pran: Pran played some of Bollywood’s most memorable villains in a career that spanned six decades. He is especially remembered for his supporting role as a villain-turned-hero in 1973’s smash hit Zanjeer (Shackles). The appeal of Pran, whose menacing eyes made him appear as the most dreaded villain on the Hindi cinema screen. He became most famous for his roles as a villain in movies such as Bari Behen (Elder Sister), Azaad (Free) and Johnny Mera Naam (Johnny is My Name).

#5. Prem Chopra: One of Bollywood’s most iconic actors, Prem Chopra redefined the big screen bad guy – a sneering, leering villain who commanded as much screen presence as the highly glorified heroes of his time. Prem Chopra came into prominence from  Woh Kaun Thi?, Shaheed, Main Shaadi Karne Chala and Teesri Manzil. After Teesri Manzil and Upkaar, he was flooded with films as a villain. His peak period as main villain was from 1967 to 1974. In 1973 Bobby released in which he had the dialogue  " Prem naam hai mera, Prem Chopra" which became very popular.

Amrish Puri, Amjad Khan