In Singham Again, recently released and starring Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar, it was shocking to see Arjun Kapoor as the villain. Arjun has had a string of underwhelming performances over the past decade, and it was sad to see a promising actor just cross the line for the sake of survival.

But Bollywood, much like Lollywood, has seen several actors revive their careers by shifting gears away from leading men. This trend often provides them with a fresh platform to reinvent their public image.

Pran Sikand was among the first to make this transition. Known for his stylish looks, complete with the era’s classic mustache, Pran starred opposite big names such as Madam Noor Jehan and Durga Khote, with Khandan (1942) his breakthrough role. After Partition, he settled in Bombay, where rising stars such as Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand dominated, forcing Pran to take up villainous roles instead. From the 1950s onward, he became so iconic as a villain that generations avoided naming their children Pran due to his chilling on-screen persona.

Around the same era, Rehan, the actor later immortalised as Lollywood’s Dracula in Zinda Laash (1967), was carving out a career as a leading man. With his tall stature, deep voice and sharp features, Rehan was a director’s dream. Hailing from a family of bureaucrats, he was discovered by the legendary director Mehboob Khan in Shimla. Initially, he worked as a supporting actor, with roles in some of Mehboob’s films.

Lead actors have long been reinventing themselves as villains to stay relevant in films, with each generation adding its own players to the ranks

Rehan seemed destined for stardom when he was cast as Nargis’ love interest in Andaz (1949), with Dilip Kumar also in the movie. However, after participating in a play in Lahore, with proceeds going to support the Kashmiri mujahideen, opportunities vanished and Raj Kapoor ultimately took his place in the movie.

In Pakistan, Rehan became a go-to choice for roles requiring a suave, cunning antagonist, and continued captivating audiences in such roles well into the late 1980s. Still remembered for his role as Seth Daud in the Nadeem-Shabnam-starrer Aaina (1977), people still recall his line, “Jao budget bana ke lao ke apni aik maheenay ki tankhwa me tum meri beti ko kitnay din zinda rakh sako gey” [Go make a budget and show me how you plan to support my daughter on your monthly salary].

Ajit and Ilyas Kashmiri shared similar career trajectories, each starting as leading men before transitioning into iconic villainous roles. Both tall and strikingly handsome, Ajit — born Hamid Ali Khan — possessed a sharp, shrill voice, while Ilyas Kashmiri was known for his deep, commanding tone. Ajit initially found success as a hero in the early 1950s, but soon found himself overshadowed by the rising stardom of Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand.

Ajit didn’t attempt to compete with them and gracefully accepted supporting roles in Mughal-i-Azam (1960) and Naya Daur (1957). He eventually reinvented himself as one of Bollywood’s most memorable conmen, immortalising lines such as “Saara shehr mujhay ‘Loin’ [Lion] ke naam se jaanta hai” [The whole town knows me as Lion] in Kalicharan (1976), often stealing the show from the lead actors.

Ilyas Kashmiri, affectionately known as Taayaji, began his career as a lead actor in undivided India and even starred opposite Kajol’s grandmother. After Partition, he continued playing lead roles in Pakistan until Murad (1957), after which he gradually moved to supporting and then villainous roles. Renowned for his versatile acting, Ilyas was equally at home in films starring Muhammad Ali or Munawwar Zareef. His performances in Ustad Shagird and Banarsi Thug (1973) highlighted his prowess.

In Bollywood, Asif Shaikh, who debuted in Rama O Rama (1988), ultimately moved to villainous and comedic roles, such as in Karan Arjun (1995). As someone who could not sustain the ‘Khans’ storm, he was reduced to the son of the villain’s roles within just a few years. He had small appearances in Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999), Kunwara (2000) and Jori No.1 (2001) with Govinda, who once was his presumed rival.

Ishq Per Zor Nahin (1963) saw him take on a secondary lead role, alongside the charismatic Aslam Pervaiz, who also crossed the line between being good and bad. Known as ‘The Prince’, Aslam entered films purely for enjoyment, debuting in Anwar Kamal Pasha’s Qatil (1955). Though he signed numerous films, repetitive roles soon stalled his initial momentum. The about-turn moment arrived in 1960, when he found success in villainous roles like Pran did.

With standout performances in Saheli (1960) and Shikwa (1963), he became synonymous with terror for the next 25 years. If Aslam were part of a film, audiences could expect a spine-chilling narrative with scenes of murder, kidnapping, or worse.

Lollywood’s Hanif and Asad Bukhari both followed a path marked by early promise but limited by circumstances. Both were attractive and had the makings of stars — Hanif with his uncanny resemblance to Dilip Kumar and Asad Bukhari with his Rock Hudson-like appeal.

After struggling to establish himself in leading roles, Hanif moved on to play side roles, as in Waheed Murad’s Samandar (quite similar to Ajit’s role in Naya Daur), and later transitioned to the role of a charismatic villain, a niche that became essential to Pakistani cinema in the 1970s. A Karachi native, he frequently appeared in Syed Kamal’s films, but as Karachi’s film industry declined, so too did Hanif’s presence on the screen.

As for Bukhari, watching him in ‘Sama jab pyara pyara’ from Mehtab (1962) is almost like watching a Hollywood hero on a Vespa scooter. Unable to counter rising stars, however, Asad found solace in villainous roles and stayed as such during the rest of his film career.

Star sons have also been ‘bad’. Kiran Kumar, son of the iconic villain Jeevan, was a promising lead in the very early 1970s but was relegated to secondary roles by the end of the decade. His career took off again with Rakesh Roshan’s Khudgharz (1987), followed by memorable villainous roles in Tezaab (1988) as Lotiya Pathan and in Khuda Gawah (1992) as Pasha.

Similarly, Mohnish Behl, son of the legendary actress Nutan, struggled as a hero despite a strong launch in films such as Teri Baahon Mein and Purana Mandir (1984). Who can forget the famous ‘Woh beetay din yaad hain’ by Ajit Singh filmed on Mohnish. But he found his footing with villainous roles, starting with Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) and went on to play antagonists in Bol Radha Bol (1992), Hum Dono (1995), Dulhe Raja (1998) and Kaho Na Pyar Hai (2000).

Lollywood’s Jehanzeb Khan, known for his striking resemblance to cricket star Imran Khan, was another promising face in the 1980s. Tall, rugged and popular for his modelling career, Jehanzeb made an impression with his role in the PTV hijacking drama Flight 033 (1988). He film-debuted in Choron Ka Badshah (1988) alongside Izhar Qazi and Muhammad Ali Shyhaki, and was later cast by Javed Fazil in Bazar-i-Husn (1988). Appearing on screen more as a villain than a hero, his last prominent appearance was in PTV’s Chandni Raatein (2002).

In Bollywood, actors such as Asif Shaikh and Arjun Rampal also followed the transition to villainous roles after early struggles. Asif Shaikh, who debuted in Rama O Rama (1988), ultimately moved to villainous and comedic roles, such as in Karan Arjun (1995) which featured his memorable line “What a joke!” As someone who could not sustain the ‘Khans’ storm, he was reduced to the son of the villain’s roles within just a few years. He had small appearances in Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999), Kunwara (2000) and Jori No.1 (2001) with Govinda, who once was his presumed rival.

Arjun Rampal, despite his looks, faced challenges due to his limited acting range. He became a permanent fixture in Shah Rukh Khan’s films, such as Don (2006), Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007) and Ra.One (2011), but eventually gave away the slot to the more versatile John Abraham, who could effortlessly switch between hero and antagonist roles.

With rumours of Abhishek Bachchan playing a villain in the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan-Suhana Khan starrer King, it’s clear that the tradition of actors reinventing themselves as villains to stay relevant remains strong. The battle between good and evil on screen continues, with each generation adding its own players to the line-up.

Published in Dawn, ICON, November 10, 2024