Most of Bollywood?s characters are pretty stereotypical, the noble hero, the love lorn heroine, the ever suffering Ma, the wicked villain, the dutiful sister, the nasty Ma-in-law etc. But now and then Bollywood breaks loose to give a real great character, one which is completely different from the crowd.
One that is genuinely hatke. When I began this exercise I didn?t expect to find much, but as I dug deeper, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were many characters in Bollywood, which were really different. So here I am presenting my take on my favorite 10 characters. There were many other characters I had to leave out.
1. Paresh Rawal as Babu Rao, Hera Pheri(2000)
One of the most wacko characters I have ever seen so far in Bollywood. The owner of a run down house and owning an equally ramshackle garage, Babu Rao, reminds you of those sloppily dressed guys you meet in the chawls and slums of Mumbai. Constantly pestered by a wrong number, ringing on his phone, he appears throughout the movie in a dirty dhoti and banian, but he is also a kind hearted drunkard. He gets entangled in a plot with his tenants to make some quick money by posing as kidnappers, and the movie is a scream with his bumbling ways. Paresh Rawal was the real hero of this movie and he brings alive the character of Babu Rao in a way none can in Bollywood today.
2. Manoj Bajpai as Bhiku Mhatre, Satya(1998)
Is this guy good, bad or plain crazy?. Its difficult to make out what sort of guy this man is. On one side he is a loving family man, and on the other side he is an equally ruthless and hot headed hit man for the mafia. He proves to be a good friend to Satya, but later he himself has to be guided by Satya who keeps his violent temper in check. Satya had many other memorable characters like Kallu Mama, Chander, Mulle and Bhau, but it?s Bhiku Mhatre who captures your attention. The audience falls in love with him, his eccentric mannerisms and his hyena like laugh. And yes a powerhouse of talent called Manoj Bajpai in that role, makes sure that Bhiku Mhatre remains one of Bollywood?s most unforgettable character.
3. Utpal Dutt as Bhavani Shanker, Gol Maal(1980)
Have you ever met a guy who is obsessed with moustaches? Who believes that men without moustaches are not men at all? And add to it, he strictly believes that Indian guys must be shudh bharatiya types, and must devote themselves to work only? And that good guys must not waster their times in sport? My god this guy must be Hitler reincarnated. Only that he is one of the most whacked out comic character in Bollywood who goes by the name of Bhavani Shankar. This is undoubtedly one of the most memorable characters created by Hrishida. And oh yes Bhavani Shankar has to face that brat of his daughter?s boyfriend, Ramprasad, who is the exact opposite of what he stands for. Utpal Dutt is just too brilliant as this actor makes you roll over with his sheer comic timing in this role.
4. Shahrukh Khan as Sunil, Kabhie Haan Kabhi Naa(1994)
This was one of Shahrukh?s best and most oddball roles he did in the beginning of his career, before he got slotted as Raj-Rahul in those soggy candy floss romances.Anyway Sunil is one of the most oddball and yet lovable characters in Bollywood. He flunks his exams regularly, his dad thinks he is a good for nothing and the girl he loves dearly, loves some one else. Yet he is just like one of us, he lies about the girl to her lover, yet when his father throws a party for him to celebrate his success in the exam, he blurts out the truth of having cheated. And in the end, he actually loses his girl to another guy. Ironically after this SRK has done movie after movie in which he gets the girl who is engaged to some 1 else.
5. Naseeruddin Shah as Ishaan, , Teen Deewarein(2003)
Teen Dewareein remains one of my all time favorite movies and it has two great characters in Naseer and Juhi. Ishaan is a rogue, a bank robber, one who openly flirts with the wife of another man. He acts as a small time dada in jail, yet he has a conscience too. Always seeking to escape from prison, yet in the end he is the person, who becomes the cause of the redemption of the other two prisoners Jaggu and Nagya. A real complex role which only an actor of Naseer?s caliber could carry off. Brilliant performance by him..
6. Amitabh Bachan as Antony Gonsalves, Amar Akbar Anthony(1977)
One of the original tapori characters created by Manmohan Desai, long time back, this was a trendsetter of sorts. Antony Gonsalves reminds you of those roguish bootleggers you find in the chawls and slums of Mumbai. Yet you cant help falling for his devil may care attitude. His sole aim in life is to make money by any means as possible. He blackmails smugglers, gets beaten up by cops, yet he is also a romantic at heart. Perpetually drunk most of the time, his motto in life is live for now. Yet he also has a human side, as shown by his tendency to help a blind woman or his friend. Antony Gonsalves proved that AB could deliver comedy as effortlessly as serious roles and it would set a trend for various tapori type roles in future.
7. Waheeda Rehman as Rosie, Guide(1969)
Rosie was one of the most unlikely Bollywood heroines you would have ever come across. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with a person older than her and who doesn?t even care for her, she finds love in a young guide Raju. She walks out of this loveless marriage and has a live in relationship with the guide and now her lover. The guide makes good use of her dancing abilities and when she finds that he has cheated her, she leaves him also. One of the most memorable characters of Bollywood rendered with brilliance by Waheeda Rehman.
8. Manisha Koirala as Annie, Khamoshi(1996)
This was Manisha?s last good performance before she went all the way down. Annie is the child of deaf and dumb parents. Born normal, she learns to communicate with her parents in sign language. Yet when she is thrown out of her house, after she is pregnant before marriage, she expresses her anger at being used by her parents. Annie was a very bold depiction of a heroine in Bollywood, and Khamoshi remains Sanjay Leela Bhansali?s finest work to date. This is one of Manisha?s best performances and it?s a pity that she has wasted her talent in inane movies later.