At their heart, Hindi action movies are a battle between good and evil as well as the eventual triumph of the righteous. For the longest time, the villains and antagonists of Bollywood have been particularly designed to be despicable and hateful, which compels us to root for the hero right from the start. But, the past few years have witnessed a change in this trend.
These days, oftentimes, the bad people or the antagonists of the film come across as more appealing and, in some cases, even more relatable than their virtuous on-screen counterparts. Additionally, some of the villains also come across as so larger than life, our heroes seem considerably dwarfed in comparison, making the protagonist’s inevitable win feel even more triumphant. If you are someone who wants to explore these kinds of Hindi action movies, this article is for you. Read on to know about 5 such presentations that see their antagonists outshine the protagonists.
Dhakkad (2022)
This visually stunning action fiesta starring Kangana Ranaut and Divya Dutta may not have performed as expected during its box office run, but it surely has several positives that make this movie worth a watch. One of them is the enigmatic antagonist of the feature, Rudraveer (Played by Arjun Rampal in the film), an elusive mastermind who is putting all kinds of creative hurdles in the paths of the film’s fierce leads. One can safely say that Rampal’s Rudraveer exudes charisma and confidence, which eventually become omnipresent in the film, making his presence felt throughout the actioner. This movie can be streamed on ZEE5.
Dhoom (2004)
This action packed heist film, which was quite a creative as well as financial gamble for Yash Raj Films at the time, gave us several firsts from the producer’s side. It redefined high octane action thrillers for Bollywood in several ways. In addition to the same, the film also gave us arguably the most stylish antagonist in the history of Hindi action movies in the form of John Abraham’s Kabir, the fast riding and suave heist master heading a group of con artists skilled in riding superbikes. This film can be streamed on YouTube for a fee.
Dhoom 2 (2006)
Dhoom 2 is one of those very rare franchise action films that surpasses its predecessor in every way imaginable. For starters, the story of the film is told in two different cities, Mumbai and Rio De Janeiro. Second of all, there was a significant variety in terms of heist locations. But thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, the film gave its audience members Aryan Singh (Hrithik Roshan), a fearless thief who is a master in the art of disguise, near-escapes and adrenaline pumping bungee jumps. In the film, Hrithik’s character can be seen convincingly disguising himself as a sculpture, a janitor, and even the Queen of England herself, amongst other people. This film, which was certainly ahead of its time, can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Pathaan (2023)
Yash Raj Films alumnus John Abraham returns to play the antagonist for the studio once again with Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback film, Pathan. The movie sees Abraham play the character of Jim, an ex-RAW agent who turned into a ruthless India-loathing killing machine running a fringe group of terrorists. Since its release, John Abraham’s Jim has been the talk of the town, with many claiming that he may have outshone the actioner’s leading man himself. This blockbuster movie can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Vikram Vedha (2022)
Here, Hrithik Roshan tries on the skin of an antagonist once again as the extremist terrorist Vedha, who is terrifying and charming in equal measures. In several ways, Roshan surpasses Saif Ali Khan’s officer Vikram during the famous interrogation scenes of the presentation. This movie can be streamed on JioCinema.