Move over ‘Mogambo… khush hua’ and ‘Kitne aadmi thhe…!’ It’s time, we drool over the sculpted and handsome bad boys, who are making the good girls go heads over heels for them.
From time immemorial, films have often depicted stories which showcased the conflict between good and bad, and the battle between the hero and the villain. Based on this theme, the filmmakers have churned out innumerable stories and are continuing to do so. Earlier, in an attempt to glorify the heroes’ persona and looks, villains were often shown with scars on their faces spouting dialogues with menacing expressions.
However, the current generation of filmmakers are giving a complete image makeover to the villains. From maintaining a chiseled body and sporting a rugged beard to wearing an Armani suit, the present day baddies are smart, suave and sexy.
Be it Siddharth Abhimanyu in Dhruva, Agarwal in Khaidhi no 150 or Krishnamurthy in Nannaku Prematho, antagonists are also turning out to be style icons and giving the so-called heroes a run for their money. In fact, Boyapati Srinu, who styled Jagapathi Babu for Legend shared that he wanted his villain to look equally powerful and stylish in his movies. This new interest seems to have caught like fire. To our surprise, even protagonists are showing some inexplicable interest in portraying negative roles.
Aadhi Pinisetty, who is already an established hero in Tamil Cinema played an antagonist’s role in Allu Arjun starrer Sarainodu. The latest buzz is that Neil Nitin Mukesh, who was previously seen in Katthi (Tamil Version of Khaidhi no 150) in a grey role is going to essay antagonist in NTR's next to be directed by Bobby.
Here’s a sneak peak of those villains who are making everyone drool over them with their classy looks.
Rana Daggubati
Blessed with a Towering personality, Rana Daggubati is undoubtedly the Greek god of Tollywood. With his daunting performance in Baahubali creating a rage among audience, he is leaving no stone unturned to woo the audience in a similar way in Baahubali 2. He is one of those actors, who is loved equally as a hero and as a villain. Let Ghazi do the rest of the talking.
Jagapathi Babu
At 55, he is hailed as the George Clooney of Tollywood, Jagapathi Babu’s stylish makeover in films like Legend, Ism have earned him lot of accolades and gained him popularity like never before. The actor is currently busy paired opposite leading heroes in Telugu and Tamil films. Despite his presence in Tollywood for decades as a romantic hero, he won all the praises, when he wore the hat of a villain, thanks to his intense eyes and salt & pepper look.
Neil Nitin Mukesh
After featuring in critically acclaimed films like Jhonny Gaddaar and New York, he forayed into Tamil cinema with the Vijay starrer Katthhi. His urbane sophisticated looks were admired by everyone. Latest news is that he might soon enter the glam-villian club of Tollywood. Let’s wait and watch, if the heartthrob is going to be Neil or NTR.
Arvind Swamy
Long back, his handsome looks in films like Roja and Bombay made him a household name everywhere. Now, he is back in the reckoning with a grey character in Dhruva, remake of Tamil blockbuster Thani Oruvan. His subtle performance and refined looks not only set the cash registers ringing but also tell us that he hasn’t lost his charm. In an interview to a Tamil channel, he told how he battled his fat, flexed and ripped his muscles to make a comeback. Now, the millennial is wondering how the ‘curd rice’ turned into biryani.
His striking and debonair looks are currently most sought out in the southern film industries. After making a promising debut in Jil, this bearded badass claimed to success with Ajith starrer Vedalam and Ravi Teja’s Kick 2. Despite his heavy Hindi accented Tamil and Telugu, his base voice is directly hitting the chord with the audience.
Vidyut Jammwal
His dashing looks and screen presence made everyone sit and take notice of him. Trained in Martial Arts, he catapulted to fame with films like Force with John Abraham and Thuppakki in Tamil with Vijay. His Goggle images redefine badass and hotness. Though he was initially called the ‘new age action hero’, his image later turned into hottest grey shade in tinsel town.
Sonu Sood
He is one of the handsome villains ruling the roost in film industries across different languages starring opposite all the leading stars. His well toned physique matching with his elegant persona has created him a huge fan base. Who can forget the ‘Bommali..’ expression that made us go red in anger. With his recent film, Kung Fu Yoga sinking at the box-office, we can make a cumulative assessment that he is a ruler as a villain, for girls love bad boys.
Sudheer Babu
One of the promising actors in Telugu industry, Sudheer Babu ventured into Bollywood, playing opposite Tiger Shroff in Baaghi. He was hailed for his attractive looks and pleasing demeanor. He is one of a kind to enter Bollywood from Tollywood, at the early stage of his career, as an antagonist.