There have been times when Bollywood actors have gone out of their way to give a performance which not only broke the stereotypes associated with them but also left the audience in awe with their mind blowing portrayal of the characters assigned to them. It requires acting prowess for a bad character to overshadow the leads in Bollywood, where the protagonists are the centre of attention. A grey character could be defined as the one who hovers around that thin line between a protagonist and a villain. At moments you may find them as super nice people doing all the good things and the next moment you start to hate them through your guts. So without further ado, here's a list of ten ominous Bollywood characters who not only nailed their roles, but also managed to send shivers down our spines, leaving an indelible effect on the audience:
1.Manoj Bajpayee as Bhiku Mhatre in 'Satya'
Maybe the character which shaped Bajpayee’s career in bollywood. Bhiku Mhatre, Manoj Bajpayee's character in 'Satya,' was unlike any other part the actor had ever done. Manoj, who played the infamous don Arun Gawli, thoroughly immersed himself in the role and nailed it. A wannabe gangster, you’ll fall in love with his quirky wit and innocence but beware of this potentially dangerous man.
2.Sanjay Dutt as Kancha Cheena in ‘Agneepath’
Sanjay Dutt may have played a variety of characters, but Kancha Cheena in 'Agneepath' is unquestionably one of his best. From the character's appearance to the words to Sanjay's acting prowess, the character made an indelible impression!. To carry forward the legacy once made by Danny Denjongpa, Sanjay did complete justice to his character and stole the show .
3.Supriya Pathak as Baa in 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela'
Supriya Pathak's portrayal of Baa in 'Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela' is one of the most well-played female antagonists in Bollywood history. Played by veteran actress Supriya Pathak, baa will leave you in a slight confusion on various occasions in the movie. She is full of pride with a tinch of arrogance and will struggle throughout to protect her family’s legacy.
4.Saif Ali Khan as Langda Tyagi in 'Omkara'
Langda Tyagi in 'Omkara' was the catalyst, and it is one of Saif Ali Khan's most renowned roles. His character was not only multi-layered and full of grey areas, but it was also shocking to the audience that Saif could pull off such a role with such ease and conviction. Your perspective towards this guy will keep on shifting through the entirety of the movie. A man chasing power, langda would do anything to become the godfather!
5.Kajol as Isha Diwan in 'Gupt: The Hidden Truth'
What could possibly be worse than a psychotic lover? A crazed female lover! In the film 'Gupt,' Kajol portrays an obsessive, insane lover who goes on a murdering rampage to eliminate any hurdles between her and the love of her life. The role has shown that Kajol’s talent isn’t limited to playing a mere girl next door character.
6.Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ramanna in 'Raman Raghav 2.0'
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's character Ramana in 'Raman Raghav' gave us shivers as we witnessed his antics as a man who gets inspiration from a psychopathic serial killer who operated in Mumbai during the mid-1960s. All of this was topped up with Nawaz’s breathtaking performance and his expressions.
7.Shah Rukh Khan as Ajay Sharma/Vicky Malhotra in 'Baazigar'
Many would argue that SRK’s most iconic performance with a grey shadow came in ‘Darr’ opposite Juhi Chawla and Sunny deol. But it was his performance in ‘Baazigar’ that announced his arrival as an actor with multiple facets. Shah Rukh Khan's performance as Ajay Sharma/Vicky Malhotra in 'Baazigar' was deep and had a vindictive appeal to it.
8.Priyanka Chopra as Sonia Roy in 'Aitraaz'
Yes! Much before the success that she got as a powerful actress not only in bollywood but Hollywood as well, priyanka played a memorable role as a passionate and ambitious woman who would reach to any extent to get what she wants. A female adversary is uncommon in Bollywood, but Priyanka Chopra defied norms when she chose to play a grey character in the early stages of her acting career.
9.Shahid Kapoor in Haider in ‘Haider’
Can you imagine an actor famous for portraying ‘Chocolate boy’ characters to play an intense, much more serious and a bit psychopath character. Shahid Kapoor played the character so perfectly that it is , now, considered as his best performance ever. Shahid was simply another son caught in the middle of a battle. He let go of his fear and accepted his madness. With his performance in 'Haider,' the actor wowed everyone.
10.Varun Dhawan in 'Badlapur'
He is torn apart , he is wrecked miserably but he won’t sit quietly and accept his fate. In the film 'Badlapur,' Varun Dhawan has a lovely wife and daughter. However, an incident in which they are killed in the middle of a robbery causes the previously sober man to alter. He then goes on to do things that a happily married person would never do. Varun had a distinct 'grey wala hue' in the flick.
